Yang Ji-Hu, Luo Chun-Feng, Xiang Rong, Min Jiu-Meng, Shao Zong-Ti, Zhao Yi-Lin, Chen Lu, Huang Lin, Zhang Yun, Liu Shun-Shuai, Li Yu-Qiong, Pu En-Nian, Shi Wen-Qiang, Pan Hai-Feng, Chen Wei-Jun, Du Chun-Hong, Jiang Jia-Fu
State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100071, People's Republic of China.
School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, People's Republic of China.
Microbiome. 2025 May 16;13(1):122. doi: 10.1186/s40168-025-02115-9.
Zoonotic viruses originating from small mammals pose significant challenges to public health on a global scale. Insectivores, serving as natural reservoirs for a diverse array of zoonotic viruses, are known to carry a multitude of viral species. However, compared to the extensive research conducted on rodents (Rodentia) and bats (Chiroptera), the role of insectivores in harboring and transmitting unknown pathogens remains underexplored, which may lead to a severe underestimation of their contributions and impact to global public health.
This study employed a meta-transcriptomic approach to profile the viromes of 214 individual insectivores, encompassing 13 species from the families Soricidae, Erinaceidae, and Talpidae, collected across 12 counties in Yunnan Province, a recognized zoonotic hotspot. Based on virus reads, the analysis identified 42 viral families associated with vertebrates, highlighting significant virome diversity and host-specific viral tropisms among shrews, hedgehogs, and moles, along with notable geographic and environmental specificity of the viruses. Shrews exhibited greater viral richness and abundance compared to hedgehogs and moles, with variations influenced predominantly by host taxonomy, altitude, and geographic location. A total of 114 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase sequences were obtained, leading to the identification of 68 viruses, including 57 novel species. Instances of host jumping were observed in 11 viruses, with potential pathogenic viruses related to Mojiang paramyxovirus and members of the Hantaviridae family. Cross-species transmission was predominantly observed in viruses carried by shrews, while moles may play a pivotal role in facilitating viral transmission among insectivores.
This study enhances the understanding of the high diversity of mammalian viruses among insectivores in a relatively confined region and underscores the associations between virome composition and related zoonotic risks, providing a foundation for proactive measures to prevent and control the spillover of emerging zoonotic pathogens and potential future outbreaks. Video Abstract.
源自小型哺乳动物的人畜共患病毒在全球范围内对公共卫生构成重大挑战。食虫动物作为多种人畜共患病毒的天然宿主，已知携带多种病毒。然而，与对啮齿动物（啮齿目）和蝙蝠（翼手目）进行的广泛研究相比，食虫动物在隐匿和传播未知病原体方面的作用仍未得到充分探索，这可能导致严重低估它们对全球公共卫生的贡献和影响。
本研究采用宏转录组学方法，对来自云南省12个县的214只个体食虫动物的病毒组进行了分析，这些食虫动物涵盖了鼩鼱科、刺猬科和鼹科的13个物种，云南省是公认的人畜共患热点地区。基于病毒读数，分析确定了42个与脊椎动物相关的病毒科，突出了鼩鼱、刺猬和鼹鼠之间显著的病毒组多样性和宿主特异性病毒嗜性，以及病毒明显的地理和环境特异性。与刺猬和鼹鼠相比，鼩鼱表现出更高的病毒丰富度和丰度，其变化主要受宿主分类学、海拔和地理位置的影响。共获得114条RNA依赖的RNA聚合酶序列，鉴定出68种病毒，其中包括57个新物种。在11种病毒中观察到宿主跳跃现象，其中包括与墨江副粘病毒和汉坦病毒科成员相关的潜在致病病毒。跨物种传播主要发生在鼩鼱携带的病毒中，而鼹鼠可能在促进食虫动物之间的病毒传播中起关键作用。
本研究增进了对相对有限区域内食虫动物中哺乳动物病毒高度多样性的理解，并强调了病毒组组成与相关人畜共患风险之间的关联，为预防和控制新出现的人畜共患病原体溢出及未来潜在疫情爆发的积极措施提供了基础。视频摘要。
