Ecological correlates of coronavirus dynamics in West African bats

0395340 - ÚBO 2014 CR eng A - Abstrakt
Baldwin, H. J. - Corman, V. M. - Klose, S. - Nkrumah, E. E. - Badu, E. K. - Anti, P. - Annan, A. - Owusu, M. - Agbenyega, O. - Oppong, S. - Adu-Sarkodie, Y. - Vallo, Peter - Kalko, E. K. V. - Drexler, J. F. - Drosten, C. - Tschapka, M.
Ecological correlates of coronavirus dynamics in West African bats.
Abstracts 16th International Bat Research Conference & 43rd North American Symposium on Bat Research. San Jose, 2013. s. 14.
[International Bat Research Conference /16./. 11.08.2013-15.08.2013, San Jose]
Institucionální podpora: RVO:68081766
Klíčová slova: Coronavirus * bats
Kód oboru RIV: EH - Ekologie - společenstva

Bats are important reservoir hosts to a number of emerging viruses, including SARS-coronavirus (CoV), Hendra and Nipah viruses, as well as Ebola and Marburg viruses. These pathogens can cause problems for public health, animal industries, and wildlife conservation. To minimize the risk of future epidemics, knowledge about the reservoir hosts is required. We need to understand how ecological factors may influence disease dynamics and drive host-switching and emergence. While numerous studies have aimed at discovery of novel infectious diseases in bat populations, little research has examined the role of host ecology on pathogen dynamics and diversity. We investigated the influence of host phenology and demography on the dynamics and diversity of CoVs in West African cave-dwelling bats. We screened 7,000 bat faecal samples from 15 species, collected regularly over two years at ten bat colonies in Ghana, for CoVs. Four CoV lineages were quantitatively detected using highly sensitive strain-specific real time RT-PCR assays. Here, we report on results on host demographic, phenological and seasonal influences on infection dynamics. Preliminary findings suggest that CoVs were preferentially carried by juvenile bats and lactating females, corresponding to seasonal spikes in virus amplification once per year linked to bat reproductive cycles. These data may imply the potential of host colonies as settings conducive to host-switching events. In sub-Saharan Africa, where bat-human contact is relatively high, these kinds of ecological insights to the study of emerging diseases are crucial to inform decisions about management, conservation and mitigating potential threats to human public health.
Trvalý link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0223389