Discovery and Genetic Characterization of Novel Paramyxoviruses Related to the Genus Henipavirus in Crocidura Species in the Republic of Korea

Abstract

Paramyxoviruses, negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses, pose a critical threat to human public health. Currently, 78 species, 17 genera, and 4 subfamilies of paramyxoviruses are harbored by multiple natural reservoirs, including rodents, bats, birds, reptiles, and fish. Henipaviruses are critical zoonotic pathogens that cause severe acute respiratory distress and neurological diseases in humans. Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, 115 Crocidura species individuals were examined for the prevalence of paramyxovirus infections. Paramyxovirus RNA was observed in 26 (22.6%) shrews collected at five trapping sites, Republic of Korea. Herein, we report two genetically distinct novel paramyxoviruses (genus: Henipavirus): Gamak virus (GAKV) and Daeryong virus (DARV) isolated from C. lasiura and C. shantungensis, respectively. Two GAKVs and one DARV were nearly completely sequenced using next-generation sequencing. GAKV and DARV contain six genes (3’-N-P-M-F-G-L-5´) with genome sizes of 18,460 nucleotides and 19,471 nucleotides, respectively. The phylogenetic inference demonstrated that GAKV and DARV form independent genetic lineages of Henipavirus in Crocidura species. GAKV-infected human lung epithelial cells elicited the induction of type I/III interferons, interferon-stimulated genes, and proinflammatory cytokines. In conclusion, this study contributes further understandings of the molecular prevalence, genetic characteristics and diversity, and zoonotic potential of novel paramyxoviruses in shrews.

First Genomic Evidence of a Henipa-like Virus in Brazil

“…Another possibility is that PBV is a marsupial-borne henipavirus. Recently, it was demonstrated the existence of rodent-borne henipavirus [10,14], from China, and shrewborne henipaviruses, from China, South Korea, Belgium, and Guinea [14][15][16][17], which further indicates the possibility of other mammals harboring henipaviruses. Although this matter remains unclear, due to lack of data about PBV genomic organization and ecological features, the marsupial-borne origin hypothesis is still supported by the high divergence of the nucleotide sequence and the isolated position of PBV in a sister clade to the bat-borne and rodent/shrew-borne subclades in the phylogenetic reconstruction.…”

“…Furthermore, novel henipaviruses were described or had sequences submitted on GenBank database referring to being found in shrews, mostly of the genus Crocidura from China, South Korea, Belgium, and Guinea [14,15,16]. Besides, a presumably shrew-borne novel henipavirus, phylogenetically related to MojV, referred as Langya henipavirus, was associated to a febrile illness in patients from China, mostly farmer workers.…”

Henipavirus Immune Evasion and Pathogenesis Mechanisms: Lessons Learnt from Natural Infection and Animal Models

“…There is growing evidence indicating that henipaviruses, despite having mainly been detected in the Pteropus genus, may infect other genera of pteropodid bats and even microbats including P. lylei , P. hypomelanus , P. vampyrus , P. rufus , P. poliocephalus , P. scapulatus , P. conspicillatus , Eidolon dupreanum , Eidolon helvum , Rousettus madagascariensis , Carollia perspicillata, and in the insectivorous Hipposideros larvatus and Pteronotus parnellii [ 9 , 42 , 43 ]. In addition to bats, several reports have suggested that some rodent species may also harbor henipa-like viruses [ 44 , 45 ].…”

Discovery and Genomic Characterization of a Novel Henipavirus, Angavokely virus, from fruit bats in Madagascar

“…Novel HNVs continue to emerge from wildlife hosts and represent ongoing threats to human health. Initially, the Henipavirus genus comprised only HeV and NiV; however, the past two decades have witnessed the discovery of five new HNVs: bat-borne Cedar virus (CedV) and Ghanaian bat virus (GhV), rodent-borne Mojiang virus (MojV), and shrew-borne Gamak (GAKV) and Daeryong viruses (DARV) (8)(9)(10)(11). Of these novel HNVs, at least two show evidence of zoonotic potential: serological data suggests prior human exposure to GhV in West Africa (12), while MojV was first identified following a human outbreak of severe pneumonia in Chinese mine workers, all of whom died after infection (9).…”

“…Of these novel HNVs, at least two show evidence of zoonotic potential: serological data suggests prior human exposure to GhV in West Africa (12), while MojV was first identified following a human outbreak of severe pneumonia in Chinese mine workers, all of whom died after infection (9). In addition to their high potential for pathogenicity, HNVs possess a broad host range that spans at least seven mammalian orders, including bats (10,13). Cross-species viral spillover necessitates effective inter-species transmission, which first requires a virus to successfully enter the cells of diverse host species.…”