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.
authors: Special Pathogens Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Jonathan S
authors: JS
authors: Towner
authors: Brian R
authors: BR
authors: Amman
authors: Tara K
authors: TK
authors: Sealy
authors: Serena A Reeder
authors: SA
authors: Carroll
authors: James A
authors: JA
authors: Comer
authors: Alan
authors: A
authors: Kemp
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Swanepoel
authors: Christopher D
authors: CD
authors: Paddock
authors: Stephen
authors: S
authors: Balinandi
authors: Marina L
authors: ML
authors: Khristova
authors: Pierre B H
authors: PB
authors: Formenty
authors: Cesar G
authors: CG
authors: Albarino
authors: David M
authors: DM
authors: Miller
authors: Zachary D
authors: ZD
authors: Reed
authors: John T
authors: JT
authors: Kayiwa
authors: James N
authors: JN
authors: Mills
authors: Deborah L
authors: DL
authors: Cannon
authors: Patricia W
authors: PW
authors: Greer
authors: Emmanuel
authors: E
authors: Byaruhanga
authors: Eileen C
authors: EC
authors: Farnon
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Atimnedi
authors: Samuel
authors: S
authors: Okware
authors: Edward
authors: E
authors: Katongole-Mbidde
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Downing
authors: Jordan W
authors: JW
authors: Tappero
authors: Sherif R
authors: SR
authors: Zaki
authors: Thomas G
authors: TG
authors: Ksiazek
authors: Stuart T
authors: ST
authors: Nichol
authors: Pierre E
authors: PE
authors: Rollin
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral