Co‐circulation and characterization of novel African arboviruses (genus Ephemerovirus ) in cattle, Mayotte island, Indian Ocean, 2017

Abstract

SummaryMayotte is an island located in the Mozambique Channel, between Mozambique and Madagascar, in the South Western Indian Ocean region. A severe syndrome of unknown aetiology has been observed seasonally since 2009 in cattle (locally named “cattle flu”), associated with anorexia, nasal discharge, hyperthermia and lameness. We sampled blood from a panel of those severely affected animals at the onset of disease signs and analysed these samples by next‐generation sequencing. We first identified the presence of ephemeral bovine fever viruses (BEFV), an arbovirus belonging to the genus Ephemerovirus within the family Rhabdoviridae, thus representing the first published sequences of BEFV viruses of African origin. In addition, we also discovered and genetically characterized a potential new species within the genus Ephemerovirus, called Mavingoni virus (MVGV) from one diseased animal. Finally, both MVGV and BEFV have been identified in cattle from the same herd, evidencing a co‐circulation of different ephemeroviruses on the island. The clinical, epidemiological and virological information strongly suggests that these viruses represent the etiological agents of the observed “cattle flu” within this region. This study highlights the importance of the strengthening and harmonizing arboviral surveillance in Mayotte and its neighbouring areas, including Africa mainland, given the importance of the diffusion of infectious diseases (such as BEFV) mediated by animal and human movements in the South Western Indian Ocean area.

Identification and phylogenetic characterization of bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV) of Middle Eastern lineage associated with 2018‐2019 outbreaks in India

“…So, we suspect co-existence and cocirculation of some unknown virus (as the case in Mayotte; Dacheux et al, 2019), which is dominating over the progress of passages.…”

Hayes Yard virus: a novel ephemerovirus isolated from a bull with severe clinical signs of bovine ephemeral fever is most closely related to Puchong virus

“…Thirdly, although mortalities due to bovine ephemeral fever are relatively uncommon, the most severe cases usually occur in older, larger cattle; in this case the diseased animal was a mature, 2.5 year-old bull. Fourthly, although co-circulation of BEFV and other ephemeroviruses has been reported previously [13], no isolations of BEFV were made during this period from other cattle located at the farm, suggesting BEFV infections were not occurring in the herd at the time. Serological evidence also indicated that BEFV had already passed through the herd several months previously.…”

“…BEFV occurs as a single serotype throughout its geographic range through tropical and sub-tropical regions from South Africa to Japan [3]. Although eight other antigenically related, but distinct, ephemeroviruses had been described prior to this study, none have ever been isolated from animals showing signs of disease or shown to cause ephemeral fever experimentally in cattle, with the notable exception of a single recorded outbreak of KOTV in Nigeria [11,12] and tentatively the as yet uncharacterised Mavingoni virus in Mayotte Island [13]. Indeed, several of these other ephemeroviruses, such as KIMV and ARV, commonly infect cattle in Australia and elsewhere, with no evidence of association with disease [14,16].…”

“…To our knowledge, there have been no other reports of KOTV-related disease in Africa or elsewhere. However recently, Mavingoni virus (MVGV), which potentially could be assigned to a new species within the genus Ephemerovirus, was detected in a bovid with BEF-like symptoms from Mayotte Island in the Indian Ocean [13].…”

Endemic and Emerging Arboviruses in Domestic Ruminants in East Asia

“…The virus was widely distributed through Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. Phylogenetic analysis based on the surface glycoprotein (G) gene demonstrated that BEFV isolates are grouped into four lineages with different geographical origins: Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia (9,10). Recently, several BEFV isolates clustered into Asian lineage have been appeared in Turkey and Iran, indicating its expansion to the westward (11,12).…”