Genetic and Antigenetic Characterization of the Novel Kotalahti Bat Lyssavirus (KBLV)

Abstract

There is a growing diversity of bat-associated lyssaviruses in the Old World. In August 2017, a dead Brandt’s bat (Myotis brandtii) tested positive for rabies and based on partial sequence analysis, the novel Kotalahti bat lyssavirus (KBLV) was identified. Because the bat was in an autolyzed state, isolation of KBLV was neither successful after three consecutive cell passages on cells nor in mice. Next generation sequencing (NGS) was applied using Ion Torrent ™ S5 technology coupled with target enrichment via hybridization-based capture (myBaits®) was used to sequence 99% of the genome, comprising of 11,878 nucleotides (nt). KBLV is most closely related to EBLV-2 (78.7% identity), followed by KHUV (79.0%) and BBLV (77.6%), supporting the assignment as phylogroup I lyssavirus. Interestingly, all of these lyssaviruses were also isolated from bat species of the genus Myotis, thus supporting that M. brandtii is likely the reservoir host. All information on antigenic and genetic divergence fulfil the species demarcation criteria by ICTV, so that we recommend KBLV as a novel species within the Lyssavirus genus. Next to sequence analyses, assignment to phylogroup I was functionally corroborated by cross-neutralization of G-deleted RABV, pseudotyped with KBLV-G by sera from RABV vaccinated humans. This suggests that conventional RABV vaccines also confer protection against the novel KBLV.

Update on Potentially Zoonotic Viruses of European Bats

“…Bokeloh bat Lyssavirus (BBLV) was identified in Myotis nattereri in Germany, France, and Poland [ 96 , 99 , 100 ]. Most recently, Kotalahti Bat Lyssavirus (KBLV) was detected in Myotis brandtii in Finland [ 86 , 104 ]. The rather novel BBLV and, tentatively, KBLV are (like EBLV-1 and EBLV-2) members of the phylogroup I Lyssaviruses.…”

“…However, also for Issyk-Kul virus strain PbGER recently discovered in Germany, a potential zoonotic transmission seems likely as Issyk-Kul virus has already been causing smaller endemics in Central Asia. For bat Lyssaviruses of phylogroup 1, the classical rabies virus vaccine confers cross-protection [ 104 ]. Bat MRV infection seems to be very rare and causes rather mild diseases [ 205 , 206 ].…”

A Comprehensive Review of the Management of Pregnant Women with COVID-19: Useful Information for Obstetricians

“… 117 Obese pregnant females with COVID-19 may have thrombotic diseases, therefore, anticoagulant therapy can be considered for this population. 118 For infected pregnant women with comorbidities, they should be admitted to the specific hospital in time, with closely monitor for both mothers and fetuses, and multidisciplinary consultation and treatments were extremely essential. 119 Moreover, more information about patients needs to be collected in order to identify pregnant women who may turn into severe types.…”

Assessing Rabies Vaccine Protection against a Novel Lyssavirus, Kotalahti Bat Lyssavirus

“…These viruses are of importance to both human and animal health given the invariably fatal outcome from developing a neurological disease [2]. The genus Lyssavirus is divided into 17 species accepted by the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) with two tentative novel lyssaviruses, Kotalahti bat lyssavirus (KBLV) and Matlo bat lyssavirus (MBLV), awaiting classification [3][4][5]. The ancestral lyssavirus reservoir host species is universally accepted as being members of the order Chiroptera with all but two lyssaviruses, Mokola and Ikoma lyssaviruses, having been detected in different bat species [6][7][8].…”

“…Initial genetic assessment enabled amplification of a small fragment of the genome and sequencing of the nucleoprotein encoding gene demonstrated that KBLV was most closely related to KHUV (81%), followed by ARAV (79.7%), BBLV (79.5%), and EBLV-2 (79.4%), at the nucleotide level [27]. A follow-up investigation using deep sequencing successfully obtained the full KBLV genome sequence consisting of 11,878 nucleotides encoding for the five genes N, P, M, G, and L. Consequently, it was determined that KBLV is phylogenetically more closely related to EBLV-2 and clusters with KHUV and BBLV [4]. It was also determined that sera, derived from humans vaccinated against RABV, demonstrated cross-neutralising activity against KBLV G pseudotyped RABV particles [4].…”