Marburgvirus in Egyptian Fruit Bats, Zambia

Emerg Infect Dis. 2019 Aug;25(8):1577-1580. doi: 10.3201/eid2508.190268. Epub 2019 Aug 17.

Abstract

We detected Marburg virus genome in Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) captured in Zambia in September 2018. The virus was closely related phylogenetically to the viruses that previously caused Marburg outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This finding demonstrates that Zambia is at risk for Marburg virus disease.

Keywords: Chiroptera; Egyptian fruit bats; Filoviridae; Marburg virus disease; Marburgvirus; Zambia; viruses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chiroptera / virology*
  • Genes, Viral
  • Humans
  • Marburg Virus Disease / diagnosis
  • Marburg Virus Disease / epidemiology
  • Marburg Virus Disease / virology*
  • Marburgvirus* / classification
  • Marburgvirus* / genetics
  • Marburgvirus* / isolation & purification
  • Phylogeny
  • Prevalence
  • Public Health Surveillance
  • RNA, Viral
  • Zambia / epidemiology

Substances

  • RNA, Viral