Isolation of Angola-like Marburg virus from Egyptian rousette bats from West Africa

Brian R. Amman, Brian H. Bird, Ibrahim A. Bakarr, James Bangura, Amy J. Schuh, Jonathan Johnny, Tara K. Sealy, Immah Conteh, Alusine H. Koroma, Ibrahim Foday, Emmanuel Amara, Abdulai A. Bangura, Aiah A. Gbakima, Alexandre Tremeau-Bravard, Manjunatha Belaganahalli, Jasjeet Dhanota, Andrew Chow, Victoria Ontiveros, Alexandra Gibson, Joseph Turay, Ketan Patel, James Graziano, Camilla Bangura, Emmanuel S. Kamanda, Augustus Osborne, Emmanuel Saidu, Jonathan Musa, Doris Bangura, Samuel Maxwell Tom Williams, Richard Wadsworth, Mohamed Turay, Lavalie Edwin, Vanessa Mereweather-Thompson, Dickson Kargbo, Fatmata V. Bairoh, Marilyn Kanu, Willie Robert, Victor Lungai, Raoul Emeric Guetiya Wadoum, Moinya Coomber, Osman Kanu, Amara Jambai, Sorie M. Kamara, Celine H. Taboy, Tushar Singh, Jonna A. K. Mazet, Stuart T. Nichol, Tracey Goldstein (), Jonathan S. Towner () and Aiah Lebbie ()
Additional contact information
Brian R. Amman: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Brian H. Bird: University of California
Ibrahim A. Bakarr: Njala University
James Bangura: University of California
Amy J. Schuh: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Jonathan Johnny: Njala University
Tara K. Sealy: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Immah Conteh: Njala University
Alusine H. Koroma: Njala University
Ibrahim Foday: Njala University
Emmanuel Amara: University of Makeni
Abdulai A. Bangura: University of Makeni
Aiah A. Gbakima: Ministry of Technical and Higher Education
Alexandre Tremeau-Bravard: Njala University
Manjunatha Belaganahalli: Njala University
Jasjeet Dhanota: University of California
Andrew Chow: University of California
Victoria Ontiveros: University of California
Alexandra Gibson: University of California
Joseph Turay: University of Makeni
Ketan Patel: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
James Graziano: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Camilla Bangura: Njala University
Emmanuel S. Kamanda: Njala University
Augustus Osborne: Njala University
Emmanuel Saidu: Njala University
Jonathan Musa: Njala University
Doris Bangura: Njala University
Samuel Maxwell Tom Williams: Njala University
Richard Wadsworth: Njala University
Mohamed Turay: University of Makeni
Lavalie Edwin: University of Makeni
Vanessa Mereweather-Thompson: University of Makeni
Dickson Kargbo: University of Makeni
Fatmata V. Bairoh: University of Makeni
Marilyn Kanu: University of Makeni
Willie Robert: University of Makeni
Victor Lungai: University of Makeni
Raoul Emeric Guetiya Wadoum: University of Makeni
Moinya Coomber: University of Makeni
Osman Kanu: University of Makeni
Amara Jambai: Ministry of Health and Sanitation
Sorie M. Kamara: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Celine H. Taboy: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Tushar Singh: Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Jonna A. K. Mazet: University of California
Stuart T. Nichol: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Tracey Goldstein: University of California
Jonathan S. Towner: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Aiah Lebbie: Njala University

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Marburg virus (MARV) causes sporadic outbreaks of severe Marburg virus disease (MVD). Most MVD outbreaks originated in East Africa and field studies in East Africa, South Africa, Zambia, and Gabon identified the Egyptian rousette bat (ERB; Rousettus aegyptiacus) as a natural reservoir. However, the largest recorded MVD outbreak with the highest case–fatality ratio happened in 2005 in Angola, where direct spillover from bats was not shown. Here, collaborative studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Njala University, University of California, Davis USAID-PREDICT, and the University of Makeni identify MARV circulating in ERBs in Sierra Leone. PCR, antibody and virus isolation data from 1755 bats of 42 species shows active MARV infection in approximately 2.5% of ERBs. Phylogenetic analysis identifies MARVs that are similar to the Angola strain. These results provide evidence of MARV circulation in West Africa and demonstrate the value of pathogen surveillance to identify previously undetected threats.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14327-8

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