Cameroonian fruit bats harbor divergent viruses, including rotavirus H, bastroviruses, and picobirnaviruses using an alternative genetic code

Yinda, Claude Kwe; Ghogomu, Stephen Mbigha; Conceição-Neto, Nádia; Beller, Leen; Deboutte, Ward; Vanhulle, Emiel; Maes, Piet; Van Ranst, Marc; Matthijnssens, Jelle

Nearly all animal virome studies ignore the bacteriophage content of stools. Here, we investigated the bat phageome, which revealed a great geographical diversity in the bat phage populations. Furthermore, the corresponding potential host bacterial species of these phages are similar to those that also live in the human gut. This raises the question if bacteriophages can also be transmitted from animals to humans. Whether this occurs and whether or not this might influence the human gut microbiota remains the subject for further studies.