Micro‒Global Positioning Systems for Identifying Nightly Opportunities for Marburg Virus Spillover to Humans by Egyptian Rousette Bats

Emerg Infect Dis. 2023 Nov;29(11):2238-2245. doi: 10.3201/eid2911.230362.

Abstract

Marburg virus disease, caused by Marburg and Ravn orthomarburgviruses, emerges sporadically in sub-Saharan Africa and is often fatal in humans. The natural reservoir is the Egyptian rousette bat (ERB), which sheds virus in saliva, urine, and feces. Frugivorous ERBs discard test-bitten and partially eaten fruit, potentially leaving infectious virus behind that could be consumed by other susceptible animals or humans. Historically, 8 of 17 known Marburg virus disease outbreaks have been linked to human encroachment on ERB habitats, but no linkage exists for the other 9 outbreaks, raising the question of how bats and humans might intersect, leading to virus spillover. We used micro‒global positioning systems to identify nightly ERB foraging locations. ERBs from a known Marburg virus‒infected population traveled long distances to feed in cultivated fruit trees near homes. Our results show that ERB foraging behavior represents a Marburg virus spillover risk to humans and plausibly explains the origins of some past outbreaks.

Keywords: Egyptian rousette bat; Filovirus; Marburg virus; Marburg virus disease; Ravn virus; Rousettus aegyptiacus; Uganda; bats; global positioning system; humans; natural reservoir; nightly opportunities; spillover; tracking; viruses; zoonoses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chiroptera*
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Humans
  • Marburg Virus Disease* / epidemiology
  • Marburgvirus*