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Published on: August 27, 2019
First isolation and characterization of pteropine orthoreoviruses in fruit bats in the Philippines
Satoshi Taniguchi1, Ken Maeda2, Taisuke Horimoto3
1Department of Virology 1, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 4-7-1 Gakuen, Musashimurayama, Tokyo, 208-0011, Japan.
Abstract:
Pteropine orthoreovirus (PRV) causes respiratory tract illness (RTI) in humans. PRVs were isolated from throat swabs collected from 9 of 91 wild bats captured on the Mindanao Islands, The Philippines, in 2013. The nucleic acid sequence of the whole genome of each of these isolates was determined. Phylogenetic analysis based on predicted amino acid sequences indicated that the isolated PRVs were novel strains in which re-assortment events had occurred in the viral genome. Serum specimens collected from 76 of 84 bats were positive for PRV-neutralizing antibodies suggesting a high prevalence of PRV in wild bats in the Philippines. The bat-borne PRVs isolated in the Philippines were characterized in comparison to an Indonesian PRV isolate, Miyazaki-Bali/2007 strain, recovered from a human patient, revealing that the Philippine bat-borne PRVs had similar characteristics in terms of antigenicity to those of the Miyazaki-Bali/2007 strain, but with a slight difference (e.g., growth capacity in vitro). The impact of the Philippine bat-borne PRVs should be studied in human RTI cases in the Philippines.
Insights
Novel Pteropine orthoreovirus (PRV) strains were identified in Philippine bats, potentially linked to human respiratory tract illness (RTI). Further study is needed to understand their impact on human health in the Philippines.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Zoonotic Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Pteropine orthoreovirus (PRV) is a known cause of respiratory tract illness (RTI) in humans.
- Bats are potential reservoirs for various zoonotic viruses.
- Understanding the prevalence and characteristics of bat-borne viruses is crucial for public health surveillance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize Pteropine orthoreovirus (PRV) from wild bats in the Philippines.
- To investigate the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of these bat-borne PRVs.
- To compare the antigenicity and in vitro growth of Philippine PRVs with a known human-infecting strain.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of PRVs from throat swabs of wild bats captured in Mindanao, Philippines.
- Whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of PRV isolates.
- Detection of PRV-neutralizing antibodies in bat serum samples.
- Antigenicity and in vitro growth characterization of PRVs.
Main Results:
- PRVs were isolated from 9 out of 91 wild bats.
- Phylogenetic analysis revealed novel PRV strains with evidence of viral genome re-assortment.
- A high prevalence of PRV-neutralizing antibodies (76/84 bats) was detected, indicating widespread circulation.
- Philippine bat-borne PRVs showed similar antigenicity but slight differences in growth capacity compared to the Indonesian Miyazaki-Bali/2007 strain.
Conclusions:
- The Philippines harbors novel strains of bat-borne PRV.
- These bat-borne PRVs exhibit high prevalence in wild bat populations.
- Further research is warranted to assess the potential impact of these Philippine bat-borne PRVs on human respiratory tract illnesses.
