Selective deforestation and exposure of African wildlife to bat-borne viruses

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dc.contributor.authorFedurek, Pawel
dc.contributor.authorAsiimwe, Caroline
dc.contributor.authorRice, Gregory K.
dc.contributor.authorAkankwasa, Walter J
dc.contributor.authorReynolds, Vernon
dc.contributor.authorHobaiter, Catherine
dc.contributor.authorKityo, Robert
dc.contributor.authorMuhanguzi, Geoffrey
dc.contributor.authorZuberbühler, Klaus
dc.contributor.authorCrockford, Catherine
dc.contributor.authorCer, Regina Z
dc.contributor.authorBennett, Andrew J
dc.contributor.authorRothman, Jessica M
dc.contributor.authorBishop-Lilly, Kimberly A
dc.contributor.authorGoldberg, Tony L.
dc.date.accessioned2024-04-29T12:46:55Z
dc.date.available2024-04-29T12:46:55Z
dc.date.issued2024-04
dc.description.abstractProposed mechanisms of zoonotic virus spillover often posit that wildlife transmission and amplification precede human outbreaks. Between 2006 and 2012, the palm Raphia farinifera , a rich source of dietary minerals for wildlife, was nearly extirpated from Budongo Forest, Uganda. Since then, chimpanzees, black-and-white colobus, and red duiker were observed feeding on bat guano, a behavior not previously observed. Here we show that guano consumption may be a response to dietary mineral scarcity and may expose wildlife to bat-borne viruses. Videos from 2017–2019 recorded 839 instances of guano consumption by the aforementioned species. Nutritional analysis of the guano revealed high concentrations of sodium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. Metagenomic analyses of the guano identified 27 eukaryotic viruses, including a novel betacoronavirus. Our findings illustrate how “upstream” drivers such as socioeconomics and resource extraction can initiate elaborate chains of causation, ultimately increasing virus spillover risk. A study in Uganda found that local extirpation of a mineral-rich tree species used in tobacco farming forced wildlife to obtain minerals by eating bat guano, in which 27 eukaryotic viruses were identified, including a novel betacoronavirus.en_US
dc.identifier.citationFedurek, P., Asiimwe, C., Rice, G.K. et al. Selective deforestation and exposure of African wildlife to bat-borne viruses. Commun Biol 7, 470 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06139-zen_US
dc.identifier.issnEISSN 2399-3642
dc.identifier.urihttps://nru.uncst.go.ug/handle/123456789/9497
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherNature Publishing Group UKen_US
dc.subjectdeforestation; African wildlife; bat-borne virusesen_US
dc.titleSelective deforestation and exposure of African wildlife to bat-borne virusesen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
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