Experimental Lagos bat virus infection in straw-colored fruit bats: A suitable model for bat rabies in a natural reservoir species

Author:

Begeman LinekeORCID,Suu-Ire Richard,Banyard Ashley C.ORCID,Drosten Christian,Eggerbauer Elisa,Freuling Conrad M.ORCID,Gibson LouiseORCID,Goharriz Hooman,Horton Daniel L.,Jennings DaisyORCID,Marston Denise A.ORCID,Ntiamoa-Baidu YaaORCID,Riesle Sbarbaro SilkeORCID,Selden DavidORCID,Wise Emma L.ORCID,Kuiken Thijs,Fooks Anthony R.ORCID,Müller Thomas,Wood James L. N.,Cunningham Andrew A.ORCID

Abstract

Rabies is a fatal neurologic disease caused by lyssavirus infection. Bats are important natural reservoir hosts of various lyssaviruses that can be transmitted to people. The epidemiology and pathogenesis of rabies in bats are poorly understood, making it difficult to prevent zoonotic transmission. To further our understanding of lyssavirus pathogenesis in a natural bat host, an experimental model using straw-colored fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) and Lagos bat virus, an endemic lyssavirus in this species, was developed. To determine the lowest viral dose resulting in 100% productive infection, bats in five groups (four bats per group) were inoculated intramuscularly with one of five doses, ranging from 100.1 to 104.1 median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50). More bats died due to the development of rabies after the middle dose (102.1 TCID50, 4/4 bats) than after lower (101.1, 2/4; 101.1, 2/4) or higher (103.1, 2/4; 104.1, 2/4) doses of virus. In the two highest dose groups, 4/8 bats developed rabies. Of those bats that remained healthy 3/4 bats seroconverted, suggesting that high antigen loads can trigger a strong immune response that abrogates a productive infection. In contrast, in the two lowest dose groups, 3/8 bats developed rabies, 1/8 remained healthy and seroconverted and 4/8 bats remained healthy and did not seroconvert, suggesting these doses are too low to reliably induce infection. The main lesion in all clinically affected bats was meningoencephalitis associated with lyssavirus-positive neurons. Lyssavirus antigen was detected in tongue epithelium (5/11 infected bats) rather than in salivary gland epithelium (0/11), suggesting viral excretion via the tongue. Thus, intramuscular inoculation of 102.1 TCID50 of Lagos bat virus into straw-colored fruit bats is a suitable model for lyssavirus associated bat rabies in a natural reservoir host, and can help with the investigation of lyssavirus infection dynamics in bats.

Funder

European Union FP7-funded project Anticipating the Global Onset of Novel Epidemics

UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), Scottish and Welsh Government

Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit award

Publisher

Public Library of Science (PLoS)

Subject

Infectious Diseases,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Reference86 articles.

1. Lyssavirus in Japanese pipistrelle, Taiwan;SC Hu;Emerg Infect Dis,2018

2. Taxonomy of the order Mononegavirales: update 2019;GK Amarasinghe;Archives of Virology,2019

3. Estimating the global burden of endemic canine rabies;K Hampson;PLoS Negl Trop Dis,2015

4. Vital signs: Trends in human rabies deaths and exposures—United States, 1938–2018;EG Pieracci;MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep,2019

5. Bats and Viruses: Emergence of novel lyssaviruses and association of bats with viral zoonoses in the EU;R Shipley;Trop Med Infect Dis,2019

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3