Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Surveillance, Isolation, and Genetic Characterization of Bat Herpesviruses in Zambia

Hayato Harima
ORCID logo ,
Yongjin Qiu
ORCID logo ,
Junya Yamagishi
,
Masahiro Kajihara
ORCID logo ,
Katendi Changula
,
Kosuke Okuya
ORCID logo ,
Mao Isono
,
Tomoyuki Yamaguchi
,
Hirohito Ogawa
ORCID logo ,
Naganori Nao
,
Michihito Sasaki
ORCID logo ,
Edgar Simulundu
ORCID logo ,
Aaron S Mweene
,
Hirofumi Sawa
,
Kanako Ishihara
ORCID logo ,
Bernard M Hang’ombe
,
Ayato Takada
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 23 May 2023 / Approved: 24 May 2023 / Online: 24 May 2023 (05:30:03 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Harima, H.; Qiu, Y.; Yamagishi, J.; Kajihara, M.; Changula, K.; Okuya, K.; Isono, M.; Yamaguchi, T.; Ogawa, H.; Nao, N.; Sasaki, M.; Simulundu, E.; Mweene, A.S.; Sawa, H.; Ishihara, K.; Hang’ombe, B.M.; Takada, A. Surveillance, Isolation, and Genetic Characterization of Bat Herpesviruses in Zambia. Viruses 2023, 15, 1369. Harima, H.; Qiu, Y.; Yamagishi, J.; Kajihara, M.; Changula, K.; Okuya, K.; Isono, M.; Yamaguchi, T.; Ogawa, H.; Nao, N.; Sasaki, M.; Simulundu, E.; Mweene, A.S.; Sawa, H.; Ishihara, K.; Hang’ombe, B.M.; Takada, A. Surveillance, Isolation, and Genetic Characterization of Bat Herpesviruses in Zambia. Viruses 2023, 15, 1369.

Abstract

Bats are of significant interest as reservoirs for various zoonotic viruses with high diversity. During the past two decades, many herpesviruses have been identified in various bats worldwide by genetic approaches, whereas there have been few reports on the isolation of infectious herpesviruses. Herein, we report the prevalence of herpesvirus infection of bats captured in Zambia and genetic characterization of novel gammaherpesviruses isolated from Macronycteris vittatus bats. By our PCR screening, herpesvirus genomes were detected in 29.2% (7/24) of Rousettus aegyptiacus, 78.1% (82/105) of Macronycteris vittatus, and 100% (1/1) of Hipposideros caffer bats in Zambia. Phylogenetic analyses of the detected herpesvirus genomes revealed that the Zambian bat herpesviruses were divided into seven betaherpesvirus groups and five gammaherpesvirus groups. Two infectious strains of a novel gammaherpesvirus, tentatively named Macronycteris gammaherpesvirus 1 (MaGHV1), were successfully isolated from Macronycteris vittatus bats, and their complete genomes were sequenced. The genome of MaGHV1 encoded 79 open reading frames, and phylogenic analyses of the DNA polymerase and glycoprotein B demonstrated that MaGHV1 formed an independent lineage sharing a common origin with other bat-derived gammaherpesviruses. Our findings provide new information regarding the genetic diversity of herpesviruses maintained in African bats.

Keywords

herpesvirus; bat; surveillance; complete genome; Zambia

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Virology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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