Munjita, Samuel Munalula;
Moonga, Given;
Mukubesa, Andrew Nalishuwa;
Ndebe, Joseph;
Mubemba, Benjamin;
Vanaerschot, Manu;
Tato, Cristina;
... Simulundu, Edgar; + view all
(2022)
Luna Virus and Helminths in Wild Mastomys natalensis in Two Contrasting Habitats in Zambia: Risk Factors and Evidence of Virus Dissemination in Semen.
Pathogens
, 11
(11)
, Article 1345. 10.3390/pathogens11111345.
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Luna Virus and Helminths in Wild iMastomys natalensisi in Two Contrasting Habitats in Zambia Risk Factors and Evidence of Vi.pdf - Published Version Download (899kB) | Preview |
Abstract
Transmission dynamics and the maintenance of mammarenaviruses in nature are poorly understood. Using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and RT-PCR, we investigated the presence of mammarenaviruses and co-infecting helminths in various tissues of 182 Mastomys natalensis rodents and 68 other small mammals in riverine and non-riverine habitats in Zambia. The Luna virus (LUAV) genome was the only mammarenavirus detected (7.7%; 14/182) from M. natalensis. Only one rodent from the non-riverine habitat was positive, while all six foetuses from one pregnant rodent carried LUAV. LUAV-specific mNGS reads were 24-fold higher in semen than in other tissues from males. Phylogenetically, the viruses were closely related to each other within the LUAV clade. Helminth infections were found in 11.5% (21/182) of M. natalensis. LUAV-helminth co-infections were observed in 50% (7/14) of virus-positive rodents. Juvenility (OR = 9.4; p = 0.018; 95% CI: 1.47-59.84), nematodes (OR = 15.5; p = 0.001; 95% CI: 3.11-76.70), cestodes (OR = 10.8; p = 0.025; 95% CI: 1.35-86.77), and being male (OR = 4.6; p = 0.036; 95% CI: 1.10-18.90) were associated with increased odds of LUAV RNA detection. The role of possible sexual and/or congenital transmission in the epidemiology of LUAV infections in rodents requires further study, along with the implications of possible helminth co-infection.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Luna Virus and Helminths in Wild Mastomys natalensis in Two Contrasting Habitats in Zambia: Risk Factors and Evidence of Virus Dissemination in Semen |
| Location: | Switzerland |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.3390/pathogens11111345 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11111345 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). |
| Keywords: | Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Microbiology, metagenomics, semen, foetus, reads, prevalence, risk factors, Luna virus, rodents, Mastomys natalensis, Zambia, ARENAVIRUS, LASSA, HANTAVIRUS, MOUSE, INFECTION, ECOLOGY, AFRICA, HUMANS |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Infection and Immunity |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10162479 |
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