The Genetic Diversity of Nipah Virus Across Spatial Scales

Nipah virus (NiV), a highly lethal virus in humans, circulates in Pteropus bats throughout South and Southeast Asia. Difficulty in obtaining viral genomes from bats means we have a poor understanding of NiV diversity.

We develop phylogenetic approaches applied to the most comprehensive collection of genomes to date (N = 257, 175 from bats, 73 from humans) from 6 countries over 22 years (1999-2020). We divide the 4 major NiV sublineages into 15 genetic clusters. Using Approximate Bayesian Computation fit to a spatial signature of viral diversity, we estimate the presence and the average size of genetic clusters per area.

We find that, within any bat roost, there are an average of 2.4 co-circulating genetic clusters, rising to 5.5 clusters at areas of 1500-2000 km2. We estimate that each genetic cluster occupies an average area of 1.3 million km2 (95% confidence interval [CI], .6-2.3 million km2), with 14 clusters in an area of 100 000 km2 (95% CI, 6-24 km2). In the few sites in Bangladesh and Cambodia where genomic surveillance has been concentrated, we estimate that most clusters have been identified, but only approximately 15% of overall NiV diversity has been uncovered.

Our findings are consistent with entrenched co-circulation of distinct lineages, even within roosts, coupled with slow migration over larger spatial scales.