Virome analysis of two sympatric bat species (Desmodus rotundus and Molossus molossus) in French Guiana.

ABSTRACT: Environmental disturbances in the Neotropics (e.g., deforestation, agriculture intensification, urbanization) contribute to an increasing risk of cross-species transmission of microorganisms and to disease outbreaks due to changing ecosystems of reservoir hosts. Although Amazonia encompasses the greatest diversity of reservoir species, the outsized viral population diversity (virome) has yet to be investigated. Here, through a metagenomic approach, we identified 10,991 viral sequences in the saliva and feces of two bat species, Desmodus rotundus (hematophagous), trapped in two different caves surrounded by primary lowland forest, and Molossus molossus (insectivorous), trapped in forest and urban habitats. These sequences are related to 51 viral families known to infect a wide range of host

SUBMITTER: Salmier A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5695591 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature