Investigation of astrovirus, coronavirus and paramyxovirus co-infections in bats in the western Indian Ocean
Axel O. G. Hoarau, Steven M. Goodman, Dana Al Halabi, Beza Ramasindrazana, Erwan Lagadec, Gildas Le Minter, Marie Köster, Andréa Dos Santos, M. Corrie Schoeman, Eduardo Samo Gudo, Patrick Mavingui, Camille Lebarbenchon
Abstract
Co-infections have a key role in virus transmission in wild reservoir hosts. We investigated the simultaneous presence of astroviruses, coronaviruses, and paramyxoviruses in bats from Madagascar, Mayotte, Mozambique, and Reunion Island. A total of 871 samples from 28 bat species representing 8 families were tested by polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) targeting the RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase genes. Overall, 2.4% of bats tested positive for the presence of at least two viruses, only on Madagascar and in Mozambique. Significant variation in the proportion of co-infections was detected among bat species, and some combinations of co-infection were more common than others. Our findings support that co-infections of the three targeted viruses occur in bats in the western Indian Ocean region, although further studies are needed to assess their epidemiological consequences.