title: Lack of Marburg Virus Transmission From Experimentally Infected to Susceptible In-Contact Egyptian Fruit Bats.
abstract: Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) were inoculated subcutaneously (n = 22) with Marburg virus (MARV). No deaths, overt signs of morbidity, or gross lesions was identified, but microscopic pathological changes were seen in the liver of infected bats. The virus was detected in 15 different tissues and plasma but only sporadically in mucosal swab samples, urine, and fecal samples. Neither seroconversion nor viremia could be demonstrated in any of the in-contact susceptible bats (n = 14) up to 42 days after exposure to infected bats. In bats rechallenged (n = 4) on day 48 after infection, there was no viremia, and the virus could not be isolated from any of the tissues tested. This study confirmed that infection profiles are consistent with MARV replication in a reservoir host but failed to demonstrate MARV transmission through direct physical contact or indirectly via air. Bats develop strong protective immunity after infection with MARV.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology.
authors.forename: Janusz T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Paweska
authors.affiliation: Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology.
authors.forename: Petrus
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jansen van Vuren
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston National Laboratory.
authors.forename: Karla A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Fenton
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston National Laboratory.
authors.forename: Kerry
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Graves
authors.affiliation: Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham.
authors.forename: Antoinette A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Grobbelaar
authors.affiliation: Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham.
authors.forename: Naazneen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Moolla
authors.affiliation: Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leman
authors.affiliation: Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weyer
authors.affiliation: Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Storm
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology.
authors.forename: Stewart D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: McCulloch
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology.
authors.forename: Terence P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology.
authors.forename: Wanda
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Markotter
authors.affiliation: Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science University of Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: Lieza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Odendaal
authors.affiliation: Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Science University of Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Clift
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston National Laboratory.
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Geisbert
authors.affiliation: School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg.
authors.forename: Martin J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hale
authors.affiliation: Centre for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, National Health Laboratory Service, Sandringham.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kemp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000821:virology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008379:Marburg Virus Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D029024:Marburgvirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics
keywords: Egyptian fruit bat; Marburg virus; experimental infection; horizontal transmission; shedding