Characterization of a Novel G3P[3] Rotavirus Isolated from a Lesser Horseshoe Bat: a Distant Relative of Feline/Canine Rotaviruses

Abstract

Bats are considered important animal reservoirs for many viruses pathogenic to humans. An approach based on viral metagenomics was used to study gut specimens from 78 insectivorous bats in Yunnan Province, China. Seventy-four reads were found to be related to group A rotavirus (RVA). Further reverse transcription-PCR screening and viral isolation on cell cultures confirmed the presence of a novel RVA strain, named RVA/Bat-tc/MSLH14/2012/G3P[3], in 1 (6%) of 16 lesser horseshoe bats. Full genomic sequencing analyses showed that MSLH14 possessed the genotype constellation G3-P[3]-I8-R3-C3-M3-A9-N3-T3-E3-H6, which is akin to human and animal rotaviruses believed to be of feline/canine origin. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that VP7 was most closely related to bovine RVA strains from India, whereas VP4 was most closely related to an unusual human RVA strain, CMH222, with animal characteristics isolated in Thailand. The remaining gene segments were only distantly related to a range of animal RVA strains, most of which are believed to be related to feline/canine RVAs. Experimental infection showed that bat RVA strain MSLH14 was highly pathogenic to suckling mice, causing 100% mortality when they were inoculated orally with a titer as low as 5 ؋ 10 2 50% tissue culture infective doses. As this virus is not closely related to any known RVA strain, it is tempting to speculate that it is a true bat RVA strain rather than a virus transmitted between species. However, further screening of bat populations, preferably juvenile animals, will be crucial in determining whether or not this virus is widely distributed in the bat population.

Molecular Epidemiology of Rotavirus in Cats in the United Kingdom

“…This genotype has been reported in cats (20,86), people (14,15,17,(87)(88)(89)(90)(91), dogs (92)(93)(94)(95)(96)(97), and other animals (98)(99)(100)(101)(102). This genotype may not be circulating in the cat population in the United Kingdom or may be at a prevalence too low for detection in our study (Ͻ2%).…”

Experimental Inoculation of Artibeus jamaicensis Bats with Dengue Virus Serotypes 1 or 4 Showed No Evidence of Sustained Replication

“…Recent metagenomic analyses have identified viruses belonging to the Retroviridae, Herpesviridae, Poxviridae, Flaviviridae, Reoviridae, Picobirnaviridae families, among others, as part of the bat viromes. [30][31][32][33][34] Moreover, the existence of several yet unknown mammalian viruses in bats is indicated by these studies. Dengue is the most important viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes to humans.…”

Evolution of a G6P[6] rotavirus strain isolated from a child with acute gastroenteritis in Ghana, 2012

“…An increased evolutionary rate after moving into the new host species was demonstrated for the SARS coronavirus, which appeared to gain some host-adaptive changes during its spread among humans (Parrish et al, 2008;Zhang et al, 2006). In this regard, it is of note that the point estimates for the evolutionary rate for G9 and G12 VP7 genes calculated from a global collection of sequences were also high, as these two VP7 genotypes are thought to have emerged recently in humans (Table 3) (Afrad et al, 2014;Dennis et al, 2014;He et al, 2013;Matthijnssens et al, 2010).…”