Special Issue "Ecology of Bat- and Rodent-Borne Zoonotic Viruses"

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Viruses".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2023 | Viewed by 1791

Special Issue Editors

1. National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
2. Faculty of Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
Interests: next-generation sequencing; bat virology; viral zoonoses; filoviruses; coronaviruses; zoology
1. National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
2. Faculty of Sciences, Institute of Biology, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
Interests: disease ecology; zoonotic pathogens; vector-borne viruses; invasion biology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bats and rodents are among the most significant viral reservoirs worldwide. The viral diversity of these taxa is extensively examined thanks to the rapidly developing next-generation sequencing technologies and surveillance efforts. However, the knowledge of viral diversity is just a first step to make realistic risk assessment of the spillover mechanisms and outbreak potential of these viruses. There is an urgent need to better understand the ecology of viral zoonotic pathogens in these animals.

In this Special Issue we welcome submissions dealing with the understanding of the ecological background of virus–host relations in Nature, such as the natural transmission patterns, genomic evolution within hosts or within populations, and the role of ectoparasites in virus transmission and viral dynamics under different life stages or under different environmental factors. We encourage submissions dealing with understanding the effects of changing environment, human impact and climate change on the distribution and evolution of viral zoonotic agents in bats or rodents. Along with original research articles, we welcome review articles covering the topic of this Special Issue as well as opinion or perspective pieces presenting novel hypotheses.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Gábor Kemenesi
Dr. Kornélia Kurucz
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Viruses is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • disease ecology
  • virus transmission
  • viral zoonoses
  • changing environment
  • pathogen dynamics
  • genomic evolution
  • ectoparasites

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Article
Detection of Filoviruses in Bats in Vietnam
Viruses 2023, 15(9), 1785; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15091785 - 23 Aug 2023
Viewed by 448
Abstract
A new filovirus named Měnglà virus was found in bats in southern China in 2015. This species has been assigned to the new genus Dianlovirus and has only been detected in China. In this article, we report the detection of filoviruses in bats [...] Read more.
A new filovirus named Měnglà virus was found in bats in southern China in 2015. This species has been assigned to the new genus Dianlovirus and has only been detected in China. In this article, we report the detection of filoviruses in bats captured in Vietnam. We studied 248 bats of 15 species caught in the provinces of Lai Chau and Son La in northern Vietnam and in the province of Dong Thap in the southern part of the country. Filovirus RNA was found in four Rousettus leschenaultii and one Rousettus amplexicaudatus from Lai Chau Province. Phylogenetic analysis of the polymerase gene fragment showed that three positive samples belong to Dianlovirus, and two samples form a separate clade closer to Orthomarburgvirus. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that 9% of Rousettus, 13% of Eonycteris, and 10% of Cynopterus bats had antibodies to the glycoprotein of marburgviruses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology of Bat- and Rodent-Borne Zoonotic Viruses)
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Article
First Report of Alphacoronavirus Circulating in Cavernicolous Bats from Portugal
Viruses 2023, 15(7), 1521; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15071521 - 08 Jul 2023
Viewed by 544
Abstract
The emergence of novel coronaviruses (CoVs) has emphasized the need to understand their diversity and distribution in animal populations. Bats have been identified as crucial reservoirs for CoVs, and they are found in various bat species worldwide. In this study, we investigated the [...] Read more.
The emergence of novel coronaviruses (CoVs) has emphasized the need to understand their diversity and distribution in animal populations. Bats have been identified as crucial reservoirs for CoVs, and they are found in various bat species worldwide. In this study, we investigated the presence of CoVs of four cavernicolous bats in six locations in the centre and south of Portugal. We collected faeces, anal, and buccal swab samples, as well as air samples from the locations using a Coriolis air sampler. Our results indicate that CoVs were more readily detected in faecal samples compared to anal and buccal swab samples. No CoVs were detected in the air samples. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the detected viruses belong to the Alphacoronavirus genus. This study represents the first report of Alphacoronaviruses circulating in bats in Portugal and highlights the importance of continuous surveillance for novel CoVs in bat populations globally. Ongoing surveillance for CoVs in bat populations is essential as they are a vital source of these viruses. It is crucial to understand the ecological relationships between animals, humans, and the environment to prevent and control the emergence and transmission of infectious diseases. Further ecological studies are needed to investigate the factors contributing to the emergence and transmission of zoonotic viruses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology of Bat- and Rodent-Borne Zoonotic Viruses)
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