Isolation of genetically diverse Marburg viruses from Egyptian fruit bats

Jonathan S. Towner; Brian R. Amman; Tara K. Sealy; Serena A. Reeder Carroll; James A. Comer; Alan Kemp; Robert Swanepoel; Christopher D. Paddock; Stephen Balinandi; Marina L. Khristova; Pierre B.H. Formenty; Cesar G. Albarino; David M. Miller; Zachary D. Reed; John T. Kayiwa; James N. Mills; Deborah L. Cannon; Patricia W. Greer; Emmanuel Byaruhanga; Eileen C. Farnon; Patrick Atimnedi; Samuel Okware; Edward Katongole-Mbidde; Robert Downing; Jordan W. Tappero; Sherif R. Zaki; Thomas G. Ksiazek; Stuart T. Nichol; Pierre E. Rollin

doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1000536

Isolation of genetically diverse Marburg viruses from Egyptian fruit bats

Jonathan S. Towner, Brian R. Amman, Tara K. Sealy, Serena A. Reeder Carroll, James A. Comer, Alan Kemp, Robert Swanepoel, Christopher D. Paddock, Stephen Balinandi, Marina L. Khristova, Pierre B.H. Formenty, Cesar G. Albarino, David M. Miller, Zachary D. Reed, John T. Kayiwa, James N. Mills, Deborah L. Cannon, Patricia W. Greer, Emmanuel Byaruhanga, Eileen C. FarnonPatrick Atimnedi, Samuel Okware, Edward Katongole-Mbidde, Robert Downing, Jordan W. Tappero, Sherif R. Zaki, Thomas G. Ksiazek, Stuart T. Nichol, Pierre E. Rollin

Pathology

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374 Scopus citations

Abstract

In July and September 2007, miners working in Kitaka Cave, Uganda, were diagnosed with Marburg hemorrhagic fever. The likely source of infection in the cave was Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) based on detection of Marburg virus RNA in 31/611 (5.1%) bats, virus-specific antibody in bat sera, and isolation of genetically diverse virus from bat tissues. The virus isolates were collected nine months apart, demonstrating long-term virus circulation. The bat colony was estimated to be over 100,000 animals using mark and re-capture methods, predicting the presence of over 5,000 virus-infected bats. The genetically diverse virus genome sequences from bats and miners closely matched. These data indicate common Egyptian fruit bats can represent a major natural reservoir and source of Marburg virus with potential for spillover into humans.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	e1000536
Journal	PLoS pathogens
Volume	5
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1000536
State	Published - Jul 2009

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Parasitology
Microbiology
Immunology
Molecular Biology
Genetics
Virology

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Towner, J. S., Amman, B. R., Sealy, T. K., Reeder Carroll, S. A., Comer, J. A., Kemp, A., Swanepoel, R., Paddock, C. D., Balinandi, S., Khristova, M. L., Formenty, P. B. H., Albarino, C. G., Miller, D. M., Reed, Z. D., Kayiwa, J. T., Mills, J. N., Cannon, D. L., Greer, P. W., Byaruhanga, E., ... Rollin, P. E. (2009). Isolation of genetically diverse Marburg viruses from Egyptian fruit bats. PLoS pathogens, 5(7), Article e1000536. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1000536

Towner, JS, Amman, BR, Sealy, TK, Reeder Carroll, SA, Comer, JA, Kemp, A, Swanepoel, R, Paddock, CD, Balinandi, S, Khristova, ML, Formenty, PBH, Albarino, CG, Miller, DM, Reed, ZD, Kayiwa, JT, Mills, JN, Cannon, DL, Greer, PW, Byaruhanga, E, Farnon, EC, Atimnedi, P, Okware, S, Katongole-Mbidde, E, Downing, R, Tappero, JW, Zaki, SR, Ksiazek, TG, Nichol, ST & Rollin, PE 2009, 'Isolation of genetically diverse Marburg viruses from Egyptian fruit bats', PLoS pathogens, vol. 5, no. 7, e1000536. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1000536

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title = "Isolation of genetically diverse Marburg viruses from Egyptian fruit bats",

abstract = "In July and September 2007, miners working in Kitaka Cave, Uganda, were diagnosed with Marburg hemorrhagic fever. The likely source of infection in the cave was Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) based on detection of Marburg virus RNA in 31/611 (5.1%) bats, virus-specific antibody in bat sera, and isolation of genetically diverse virus from bat tissues. The virus isolates were collected nine months apart, demonstrating long-term virus circulation. The bat colony was estimated to be over 100,000 animals using mark and re-capture methods, predicting the presence of over 5,000 virus-infected bats. The genetically diverse virus genome sequences from bats and miners closely matched. These data indicate common Egyptian fruit bats can represent a major natural reservoir and source of Marburg virus with potential for spillover into humans.",

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AU - Byaruhanga, Emmanuel

AU - Farnon, Eileen C.

AU - Atimnedi, Patrick

AU - Okware, Samuel

AU - Katongole-Mbidde, Edward

AU - Downing, Robert

AU - Tappero, Jordan W.

AU - Zaki, Sherif R.

AU - Ksiazek, Thomas G.

AU - Nichol, Stuart T.

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Isolation of genetically diverse Marburg viruses from Egyptian fruit bats

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