First Report of Bandavirus dabieense in Bats and Ticks Collected from Bat Habitats

Abstract

Background: The zoonotic infectious disease, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), caused by the SFTS virus (SFTSV), Bandavirus dabieense, was first identified in China in 2009 and reported in the Republic of Korea in 2013. The primary vector is the tick Haemaphysalis (H.) longicornis, which is endemic to the Asia-Pacific region and has a wide range of hosts. While SFTSV has been studied in various wildlife species, no investigation has focused explicitly on bats, which are ecologically significant in the transmission of zoonotic viruses. Materials and Methods: To investigate the relationship between bats and SFTSV, 1,200 ticks were collected from 12 sites in 6 provinces within 1 km of bat habitats using flagging, and 147 bat sera were collected via cardiac puncture after ether anesthesia between November 2021 and September 2022. Total RNA was extracted from the ticks and bat sera, and nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed to amplify the S segment of SFTSV. Bat sera were analyzed for IgG antibodies against SFTSV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Within 1 km of bat habitats, 881 H. longicornis, 209 H. flava, 96 Haemaphysalis spp., and 14 Ixodes (I.) nipponensis were identified. SFTSV was detected in 12.3% (147/1,200) of the ticks. Although no SFTSV RNA was detected in bat sera by nested PCR, 3.4% (5/147) were seropositive by ELISA. Conclusion: While molecular evidence of SFTSV infection was not observed in bats, a few serological positives suggest possible past exposure. The detection of SFTSV in ticks collected from bat habitats suggests potential ecological interactions involving bats, ticks, and other wildlife species. These findings highlight the importance of considering both wildlife reservoirs and the indirect role of bats in the geographical spread of SFTSV.

Keywords: SFTS; bat habitats; bats; ticks; wildlife.