Phylogeny and Origins of Hantaviruses Harbored by Bats, Insectivores, and Rodents

Abstract

Hantaviruses are among the most important zoonotic pathogens of humans and the subject of heightened global attention. Despite the importance of hantaviruses for public health, there is no consensus on their evolutionary history and especially the frequency of virus-host co-divergence versus cross-species virus transmission. Documenting the extent of hantavirus biodiversity, and particularly their range of mammalian hosts, is critical to resolving this issue. Here, we describe four novel hantaviruses (Huangpi virus, Lianghe virus, Longquan virus, and Yakeshi virus) sampled from bats and shrews in China, and which are distinct from other known hantaviruses. Huangpi virus was found in Pipistrellus abramus, Lianghe virus in Anourosorex squamipes, Longquan virus in Rhinolophus affinis, Rhinolophus sinicus, and Rhinolophus monoceros, and Yakeshi virus in Sorex isodon, respectively. A phylogenetic analysis of the available diversity of hantaviruses reveals the existence of four phylogroups that infect a range of mammalian hosts, as well as the occurrence of ancient reassortment events between the phylogroups. Notably, the phylogenetic histories of the viruses are not always congruent with those of their hosts, suggesting that cross-species transmission has played a major role during hantavirus evolution and at all taxonomic levels, although we also noted some evidence for virus-host co-divergence. Our phylogenetic analysis also suggests that hantaviruses might have first appeared in Chiroptera (bats) or Soricomorpha (moles and shrews), before emerging in rodent species. Overall, these data indicate that bats are likely to be important natural reservoir hosts of hantaviruses.

Virome Analysis of Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor variabilis, and Ixodes scapularis Ticks Reveals Novel Highly Divergent Vertebrate and Invertebrate Viruses

“…The known Bunyaviridae comprise more than 350 viruses, with many of those being only recently discovered and characterized (10,19,(48)(49)(50). Relatively few nairoviruses have been discovered; Kupe and Finch Creek viruses were the only newly characterized members of this genus reported within the last decade (51,52).…”

Nuclear organisation of some immunohistochemically identifiable neural systems in five species of insectivore —Crocidura cyanea, Crocidura olivieri, Sylvisorex ollula, Paraechinus aethiopicus and Atelerix frontalis

“…Molecular studies have placed three microchiropteran families into Laurasiatheria which includes shrews and hedgehogs (Teeling et al, 2005). Murphy et al (2001b) acknowledge the relationship between Soricomorpha (shrews and moles) and chiroptera based on molecular findings, and viral evolution studies have grouped the microchiropteran family Rhinolophoidea with the Soricidae (Guo et al, 2013). Thus, the molecular studies are, in a sense, supportive of microchiropteran and megachiropteran diphyly, with Soricidae forming a potential sister group to the microchiropterans.…”

Evolution and Antiviral Specificities of Interferon-Induced Mx Proteins of Bats against Ebola, Influenza, and Other RNA Viruses

“…There is serological evidence that bats of the Phyllostomidae family found in Guatemala and Peru are frequently infected with previously unknown influenza A-like viruses (9,10). Moreover, serological and viral nucleic acid sequencing data in African and Asian bats of the Rhinolophidae and Vespertilionidae families suggest infections with bunyaviruses of the Nairovirus and Hantavirus genera (11)(12)(13). However, most of these pathogens, with the exception of rabies virus and bat lyssaviruses (6,14), seem to be under strong host control, as they do not cause obvious disease in bats (15).…”