Isolation of genetically diverse Marburg viruses from Egyptian fruit bats.
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.
Towner
Jonathan S
JS
Special Pathogens Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Amman
Brian R
BR
Sealy
Tara K
TK
Carroll
Serena A Reeder
SA
Comer
James A
JA
Kemp
Alan
A
Swanepoel
Robert
R
Paddock
Christopher D
CD
Balinandi
Stephen
S
Khristova
Marina L
ML
Formenty
Pierre B H
PB
Albarino
Cesar G
CG
Miller
David M
DM
Reed
Zachary D
ZD
Kayiwa
John T
JT
Mills
James N
JN
Cannon
Deborah L
DL
Greer
Patricia W
PW
Byaruhanga
Emmanuel
E
Farnon
Eileen C
EC
Atimnedi
Patrick
P
Okware
Samuel
S
Katongole-Mbidde
Edward
E
Downing
Robert
R
Tappero
Jordan W
JW
Zaki
Sherif R
SR
Ksiazek
Thomas G
TG
Nichol
Stuart T
ST
Rollin
Pierre E
PE
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008379:Marburg Virus Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D029024:Marburgvirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014454:Uganda
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral