Luna Virus and Helminths in Wild <i>Mastomys natalensis</i> in Two Contrasting Habitats in Zambia: Risk Factors and Evidence of Virus Dissemination in Semen.

ABSTRACT: Transmission dynamics and the maintenance of mammarenaviruses in nature are poorly understood. Using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and RT-PCR, we investigated the presence of mammarenaviruses and co-infecting helminths in various tissues of 182 Mastomys natalensis rodents and 68 other small mammals in riverine and non-riverine habitats in Zambia. The Luna virus (LUAV) genome was the only mammarenavirus detected (7.7%; 14/182) from M. natalensis. Only one rodent from the non-riverine habitat was positive, while all six foetuses from one pregnant rodent carried LUAV. LUAV-specific mNGS reads were 24-fold higher in semen than in other tissues from males. Phylogenetically, the viruses were closely related to each other within the LUAV clade. Helminth infections we

SUBMITTER: Munjita SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9697851 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature