High astrovirus diversity in an endemic bat species suggests multiple spillovers from synanthropic rodents and birds

2025

Article référencé dans le Web of Science WOS:001403152300001

Leong R., Hoarau Axel, Carcauzon V., Köster M., Dietrich Muriel, Tortosa P., Lebarbenchon C.

Journal of Virology, 2025, 99 (2), e01357-24 [10 p.] ISSN 0022-538X

Beyond the role of bats as natural host reservoirs of infectious agents, the impact of viral spillover from other animal species to bats has been neglected. Given the limited virus-host specificity of astroviruses (AstVs) and their propensity for cross-species transmission, we hypothesized that AstVs could be transmitted within animal communi ties (rodents, birds, and bats) and that native endemic bats may be exposed to viruses hosted by other species. We investigated the presence of AstV RNA in 3,796 biological samples collected in Reunion Island from Mormopterus francoismoutoui (N = 3421), an endemic free-tailed bat species, and also from small terrestrial mammals and birds: Rattus rattus ( N = 146), Rattus norvegicus ( N = 74), Mus musculus domesticus ( N = 36), Suncus murinus (N = 99), and Columba livia (N = 20). We found significant differences in AstV prevalence between species (ranging from 1% +/- 1.97% in S. murinus to 75% +/- 18.9% in C. livia) as well as variation of pairwise identity of AstV sequences among host species, with a high diversity in M. francoismoutoui (mean pairwise identity: 53.2% +/- 11.2%). Phylogenetic analyses further revealed that AstVs detected in bats did not cluster in a single clade and were genetically related to AstVs found in birds, rodents, pigs, dogs, cats, and reptiles. Our study suggests that bats may be exposed to viruses associated to synanthropic and alien species. Cascade effects of virus spillover toward endemic and endangered bat species need to be fully assessed.

Entomologie médicale / Parasitologie / Virologie [052] ; Sciences du monde animal [080]

REUNION ; OCEAN INDIEN

Fonds IRD [F B010092668]

fdi:010092668