Subgenomic flavivirus RNA (sfRNA) associated with Asian lineage Zika virus identified in three species of Ugandan bats (family Pteropodidae)
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Scientific reports
Abstract
Serological cross-reactivity among flaviviruses makes determining the prior arbovirus exposure of
animals challenging in areas where multiple flavivirus strains are circulating. We hypothesized that
prior infection with ZIKV could be confirmed through the presence of subgenomic flavivirus RNA
(sfRNA) of the 3′ untranslated region (UTR), which persists in tissues due to XRN-1 stalling during
RNA decay. We amplified ZIKV sfRNA but not NS5 from three experimentally-infected Jamaican
fruit bats, supporting the hypothesis of sfRNA tissue persistence. Applying this approach to 198 field
samples from Uganda, we confirmed presence of ZIKV sfRNA, but not NS5, in four bats representing
three species: Eidolon helvum (n = 2), Epomophorus labiatus (n = 1), and Rousettus aegyptiacus (n = 1).
Amplified sequence was most closely related to Asian lineage ZIKV. Our results support the use of
sfRNA as a means of identifying previous flavivirus infection and describe the first detection of ZIKV
RNA in East African bats.
Description
Keywords
Subgenomic flavivirus RNA (sfRNA), Asian lineage Zika virus, Ugandan bats (family Pteropodidae)
Citation
Fagre, A. C., Lewis, J., Miller, M. R., Mossel, E. C., Lutwama, J. J., Nyakarahuka, L., ... & Kading, R. C. (2021). Subgenomic flavivirus RNA (sfRNA) associated with Asian lineage Zika virus identified in three species of Ugandan bats (family Pteropodidae). Scientific reports, 11(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-87816-5