Discovery of an Ebolavirus-Like Filovirus in Europe

Abstract

Filoviruses, amongst the most lethal of primate pathogens, have only been reported as natural infections in sub-Saharan Africa and the Philippines. Infections of bats with the ebolaviruses and marburgviruses do not appear to be associated with disease. Here we report identification in dead insectivorous bats of a genetically distinct filovirus, provisionally named Lloviu virus, after the site of detection, Cueva del Lloviu, in Spain.

Molecular Evolution of Viruses of the Family Filoviridae Based on 97 Whole-Genome Sequences

“…Our estimate is similar to a previous calculation (7,100 to 7,900 years) based on synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution ratios (25) and far younger than other recent assessments using non-clock-based methods that rely on the assumption of filovirus-like elements that appear to have been integrated into the genome of a variety of mammals and subjected to different evolutionary pressures (27,28). Additional approximations of MRCA that resulted in older estimates than those generated in this study differed in terms of more-limited numbers of whole-genome taxa as well as methodology (4,26). One such study (4) employed a coalescent prior, which is most suitable for analyzing relationships among members of the same population or species, to generate a hypothesized date of MRCA for the family.…”

“…The filoviruses are primarily African in origin, with the exception of Reston virus, which so far has been found only in the Philippines or in nonhuman primates originating in the Philippines. In addition, an Ebola-like filovirus, Lloviu virus, was recently identified in bats in Spain (4) and likely represents another distinct genus.…”

Une première épidémie de fièvre à virus Ebola en Afrique de l’Ouest

“…En outre, les résultats d'une étude sérologique datant de 1989 ont révélé qu'un taux de séropositivé pour le virus Ebola était de 4,5 % dans un échantillon de 318 patients malgaches, ce qui renforce très largement l'hypothèse d'une grande zone de circulation (Figure 2). Plus récemment, un nouveau genre de filovirus a été génétiquement identifié dans le nord de la péninsule ibérique (le virus Lloviu) [14], ce qui élargit encore la zone de circulation des filovirus. La présence de foyers massifs de virus Ebola Reston (n'étant pas actuellement identifié comme pathogène pour l'homme) en Asie du Sud-Est (Philippines) vient encore conforter l'hypothèse d'une circulation quasi planétaire des filovirus [15].…”

Nipah Virus

“…However, field investigations may demonstrate radical and unexpected epidemiological changes. For example, the discovery of a novel ebolavirus-like filovirus in Spanish microbats demonstrated that the potential for such spill over events is not limited to Africa or Asia [68]. It is therefore important to enhance our preparedness to counter potential future introduction of exotic pathogens as henipaviruses in non endemic areas by conducting active pre-emergence research.…”