BACKGROUND: Astroviruses (AstVs) are common pathogens of a wide range of animal hosts, including mammals and avians, causing gastrointestinal diseases, mainly gastroenteritis and diarrhea. They prompt a significant health problem in newborns and young children and economic losses in the poultry sector and mink farms. Recent studies revealed a growing number of bat species carrying astroviruses with a noticeable prevalence and diversity. Here, we demonstrate the first detection of bat astroviruses (BtAstVs) circulating in the population of insectivorous bats in the territory of Poland. RESULTS: Genetically diverse BtAstVs (n = 18) were found with a varying degree of bat species specificity in five out of 15 bat species in Poland previously recognized as BtAstV hosts. Astroviral RNA was found in 12 out of 98 (12.2%, 95% CI 7.1-20.2) bat intestines, six bat kidneys (6.1%, 95% CI 2.8-12.7) and two bat livers (2.0%, 95% CI 0.4-7.1). Deep sequencing of the astroviral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) region revealed co-infections in five single bat individuals with highly distinct astrovirus strains. CONCLUSIONS: The detection of highly distinct bat astroviruses in Polish bats favors virus recombination and the generation of novel divergent AstVs and creates a potential risk of virus transmission to domestic animals and humans in the country. These findings provide a new insight into molecular epidemiology, prevalence of astroviruses in European bat populations and the risk of interspecies transmission to other animals including humans.
BACKGROUND: Astroviruses (AstVs) are common pathogens of a wide range of animal hosts, including mammals and avians, causing gastrointestinal diseases, mainly gastroenteritis and diarrhea. They prompt a significant health problem in newborns and young children and economic losses in the poultry sector and mink farms. Recent studies revealed a growing number of bat species carrying astroviruses with a noticeable prevalence and diversity. Here, we demonstrate the first detection of bat astroviruses (BtAstVs) circulating in the population of insectivorous bats in the territory of Poland. RESULTS: Genetically diverse BtAstVs (n = 18) were found with a varying degree of bat species specificity in five out of 15 bat species in Poland previously recognized as BtAstV hosts. Astroviral RNA was found in 12 out of 98 (12.2%, 95% CI 7.1-20.2) bat intestines, six bat kidneys (6.1%, 95% CI 2.8-12.7) and two bat livers (2.0%, 95% CI 0.4-7.1). Deep sequencing of the astroviral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) region revealed co-infections in five single bat individuals with highly distinct astrovirus strains. CONCLUSIONS: The detection of highly distinct bat astroviruses in Polish bats favors virus recombination and the generation of novel divergent AstVs and creates a potential risk of virus transmission to domestic animals and humans in the country. These findings provide a new insight into molecular epidemiology, prevalence of astroviruses in European bat populations and the risk of interspecies transmission to other animals including humans.
Authors: Lucie Dufkova; Petra Straková; Jana Širmarová; Jiří Salát; Romana Moutelíková; Tomáš Chrudimský; Tomáš Bartonička; Norbert Nowotny; Daniel Růžek Journal: Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis Date: 2015-08 Impact factor: 2.133
Authors: Charles H Calisher; James E Childs; Hume E Field; Kathryn V Holmes; Tony Schountz Journal: Clin Microbiol Rev Date: 2006-07 Impact factor: 26.132
Authors: Gábor Kemenesi; Bianka Dallos; Tamás Görföl; Sándor Boldogh; Péter Estók; Kornélia Kurucz; Anna Kutas; Fanni Földes; Miklós Oldal; Viktória Németh; Vito Martella; Krisztián Bányai; Ferenc Jakab Journal: Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis Date: 2014-12 Impact factor: 2.133
Authors: Julianne R Brown; Sofia Morfopoulou; Jonathan Hubb; Warren A Emmett; Winnie Ip; Divya Shah; Tony Brooks; Simon M L Paine; Glenn Anderson; Alex Virasami; C Y William Tong; Duncan A Clark; Vincent Plagnol; Thomas S Jacques; Waseem Qasim; Mike Hubank; Judith Breuer Journal: Clin Infect Dis Date: 2015-01-07 Impact factor: 9.079
Authors: Dominik W Schmid; Gloria Fackelmann; Jacques Rakotondranary; Yedidya R Ratovonamana; B Karina Montero; Jörg U Ganzhorn; Simone Sommer Journal: Anim Microbiome Date: 2022-08-09