Schuh Amy J, Amman Brian R, Apanaskevich Dmitry A, Sealy Tara K, Nichol Stuart T, Towner Jonathan S
Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
United States National Tick Collection, the James H. Oliver, Jr. Institute for Coastal Plain Science, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA.
Parasit Vectors. 2016 Mar 5;9:128. doi: 10.1186/s13071-016-1390-z.
The cave-dwelling Egyptian rousette bat (ERB; Rousettus aegyptiacus) was recently identified as a natural reservoir host of marburgviruses. However, the mechanisms of transmission for the enzootic maintenance of marburgviruses within ERBs are unclear. Previous ecological investigations of large ERB colonies inhabiting Python Cave and Kitaka Mine, Uganda revealed that argasid ticks (Ornithodoros faini) are hematophagous ectoparasites of ERBs. Yet, their potential role as transmission vectors for marburgvirus has not been sufficiently assessed.
In the present study, 3,125 O. faini were collected during April 2013 from the rock crevices of Python Cave, Uganda. None of the ticks tested positive for marburgvirus-specific RNA by Q-RT-PCR. The probability of failure to detect marburgvirus at a conservative prevalence of 0.1 % was 0.05.
The absence of marburgvirus RNA in O. faini suggests they do not play a significant role in the transmission and enzootic maintenance of marburgvirus within their natural reservoir host.
穴居埃及果蝠(ERB;埃及果蝠)最近被确定为马尔堡病毒的天然宿主。然而,马尔堡病毒在埃及果蝠体内进行地方性维持传播的机制尚不清楚。此前对乌干达蟒蛇洞和基塔卡矿的大型埃及果蝠群落进行的生态调查显示,argasid蜱(费氏钝缘蜱)是埃及果蝠的吸血外寄生虫。然而,它们作为马尔堡病毒传播媒介的潜在作用尚未得到充分评估。
在本研究中,2013年4月从乌干达蟒蛇洞的岩石裂缝中收集了3125只费氏钝缘蜱。通过Q-RT-PCR检测,没有一只蜱的马尔堡病毒特异性RNA呈阳性。在保守患病率为0.1%的情况下,未检测到马尔堡病毒的概率为0.05。
费氏钝缘蜱中不存在马尔堡病毒RNA,这表明它们在其天然宿主内马尔堡病毒的传播和地方性维持中不发挥重要作用。