Two Novel Parvoviruses in Frugivorous New and Old World Bats

Canuti, Marta; Eis-Huebinger, Anna Maria; Deijs, Martin; de Vries, Michel; Drexler, Jan Felix; Oppong, Samuel K.; Müller, Marcel A.; Klose, Stefan M.; Wellinghausen, Nele; Cottontail, Veronika M.; Kalko, Elisabeth K. V.; Drosten, Christian; van der Hoek, Lia

Eidolon helvum, the most widely distributed fruit bat species in Africa, is a transcontinental migrant seasonally forming huge colonies of 5 to 10 million individuals. Its primary habitat is equatorial Africa but flying-foxes can migrate more than 2500 km [46] . In the investigated population, the prevalence of the Et-BtPV-1 was 7% and the virus could be detected in all tissues tested, with spleen and kidneys as most likely candidates for potential replication sites. Since the colonies are often in close contact with the human population and in some African areas the bats are habitually used as source of food [47] , as is the case with Eidolon helvum in Ghana [48] , studies are needed to investigate whether the virus could be transmitted to a human host, e.g., by antibody studies in individuals involved in bat bush meat processing.