Genomics of novel influenza A virus (H18N12) in bats, Caribe Colombia.

ABSTRACT: Influenza viruses are highly capable of mutating and adapting in mammalian hosts. While these viruses have been extensively studied in birds, research on their presence in bats has been limited. However, influenza viruses circulating in bats have shown notable molecular divergence. The present study aimed to characterize the phylogenetic, evolutionary, and antigenic relationships of an influenza A virus detected in the fishing bat Noctilio albiventris. As part of a pathogen surveillance study of public health interest, 159 rectal samples were collected from bats in the Colombian Caribbean. The samples were sequenced using RNA-Seq. A genome (eight viral contigs) associated with the Orthomyxoviridae family was identified in a pool. Most segments showed approximately 90% similarity with H18N1

SUBMITTER: Echeverri-De la Hoz D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11846851 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature