Isolation of Nipah virus from Malaysian Island flying-foxes.
In late 1998, Nipah virus emerged in peninsular Malaysia and caused fatal disease in domestic pigs and humans and substantial economic loss to the local pig industry. Surveillance of wildlife species during the outbreak showed neutralizing antibodies to Nipah virus mainly in Island flying-foxes (Pteropus hypomelanus) and Malayan flying-foxes (Pteropus vampyrus) but no virus reactive with anti-Nipah virus antibodies was isolated. We adopted a novel approach of collecting urine from these Island flying-foxes and swabs of their partially eaten fruits. Three viral isolates (two from urine and one from a partially eaten fruit swab) that caused Nipah virus-like syncytial cytopathic effect in Vero cells and stained strongly with Nipah- and Hendra-specific antibodies were isolated. Molecular sequencing and analysis of the 11,200-nucleotide fragment representing the beginning of the nucleocapsid gene to the end of the glycoprotein gene of one isolate confirmed the isolate to be Nipah virus with a sequence deviation of five to six nucleotides from Nipah virus isolated from humans. The isolation of Nipah virus from the Island flying-fox corroborates the serological evidence that it is one of the natural hosts of the virus.
Chua
Kaw Bing
KB
Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Lumpur, Kuala, Malaysia
Koh
Chong Lek
CL
Hooi
Poh Sim
PS
Wee
Kong Fatt
KF
Khong
Jenn Hui
JH
Chua
Beng Hooi
BH
Chan
Yee Peng
YP
Lim
Mou Eng
ME
Lam
Sai Kit
SK
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000652:urine / Q000821:virology*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D005638:Fruit / Q000821:virology; D008296:Malaysia; D018184:Paramyxoviridae Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine / Q000821:virology; D018098:Paramyxovirinae / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014709:Vero Cells
D000914:Antibodies, Viral