title: The close genetic relationship of lineage D Betacoronavirus from Nigerian and Kenyan straw-colored fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) is consistent with the existence of a single epidemiological unit across sub-Saharan Africa.
abstract: Straw-colored fruit bats (Eidolon helvum), which have been identified as natural hosts for several zoonotic pathogens, such as lyssaviruses, henipaviruses, and ebolavirus, are associated with human settlements in Nigeria where they are commonly consumed as a delicacy. However, information on the viruses harbored by these bats is scarce. In this study, coronavirus sequences were detected using a nested RT-PCR targeting 440 bp of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) in six of 79 fecal samples collected from an urban colony of E. helvum in Ibadan, Nigeria. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all six sequences were monophyletic and clustered in lineage D of Betacoronavirus. The extension of two fragments allowed us to classify our sequences within the RdRp Group Unit defined for Kenyan Betacoronavirus from the same host species. These findings are consistent with the previous suggestion on the existence of a single epidemiological unit of E. helvum across sub-Saharan Africa. This theory, which is supported by the genetic structure of continental E. helvum, could facilitate viral mixing between different colonies across the continent.
authors.affiliation: National Reference Centre and OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Universita` 10, 35020, Legnaro, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leopardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oluwayelu
authors.affiliation: Virology Department, National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Clement
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meseko
authors.affiliation: National Reference Centre and OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Universita` 10, 35020, Legnaro, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marciano
authors.affiliation: National Reference Centre and OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Universita` 10, 35020, Legnaro, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tassoni
authors.affiliation: Institute of Advanced Medical Research and Training, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Solomon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bakarey
authors.affiliation: National Reference Centre and OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Universita` 10, 35020, Legnaro, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Monne
authors.affiliation: National Reference Centre and OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Universita` 10, 35020, Legnaro, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cattoli
authors.affiliation: National Reference Centre and OIE Collaborating Centre for Diseases at the Animal-Human Interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Universita` 10, 35020, Legnaro, Padua, Italy. pdebenedictis@izsvenezie.it.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Benedictis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000821:virology*; D017934:Coronavirus / Q000235:genetics*; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000821:virology; D007630:Kenya; D009549:Nigeria; D010802:Phylogeny; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000821:virology
keywords: Betacoronavirus; Epidemiological niche; Frugivorous bats; Nigeria