Detection of a novel bat gammaherpesvirus in Hungary

Abstract

This paper describes the detection of a novel herpesvirus in a Serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus) in Hungary. The rescued animal showed signs of icterus and anorexia and died within a day, in spite of immediate supportive therapy. Autopsy confirmed the clinical picture by the major lesions observed in the liver. Histopathology revealed vacuolar degeneration in the hepatocytes and leukocytosis in the sinusoidal lumina. By electron microscopy, hydropic degeneration and apoptotic cells with a pycnotic nucleus were found in the liver. Bacteriological examinations gave negative results. As part of a routine screening project, detection of adeno-and herpesviruses from homogenised samples of the liver, lungs and small intestines was attempted by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. The adenovirus PCR ended with negative results. The herpesvirus PCR resulted in an amplification product of specific size. The nucleotide sequence of the amplicon was determined and analysed by homology search and phylogenetic analysis. A novel herpesvirus was identified, which seemed to be most closely related to members of the genus Rhadinovirus within the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae. The causative role of the detected rhadinovirus in the fatal condition of the Serotine bat could not be proven, but it is most likely that reactivation from a latent infection allowed the detection of the virus by PCR.

Metagenomic Analysis of the Viromes of Three North American Bat Species: Viral Diversity among Different Bat Species That Share a Common Habitat

“…8). Herpesviruses have been detected in bats in a number of studies (51,62,76,84,85,87), and in European bats gamma-and betaherpesviruses were detected by pan-herpes consensus PCR (87). The predominant herpesviruses strains found in this study were more closely related to mammalian species besides bats, and we expect that different species of bats will contain different types of herpesviruses.…”

Prevalence and genetic diversity of adeno-associated viruses in bats from China

“…In addition, PCR screening has revealed the presence of seven genetically different gammaherpesviruses and one novel betaherpesvirus in seven different European bat species in the family Vespertilionidae (Wibbelt et al, 2007). Independently, another study using PCR analysis has identified a novel gammaherpesvirus in a Serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus) in Hungary during an investigation of a sick bat (Molnar et al, 2008).…”

Isolation and Characterization of a Novel Gammaherpesvirus from a Microbat Cell Line

“…Phylogenetic studies on this virus sequence suggest a bat origin for the new gammaherpesvirus. Although previous reports have described other gammaherpesvirus sequences from bats ( 16 – 18 ), as well as a replication-competent bat betaherpesvirus ( 19 ), the present study describes the first isolation of what is likely a bat gammaherpesvirus. The transcriptome data from the bat cell line also provide a transcript map for the novel gammaherpesvirus.…”