2023-11-16 マックス・プランク研究所
◆研究者たちはコウモリとウイルスの関連性について慎重に検討し、「コウモリは人間に伝染するウイルスを抱えている」という広く信じられている説を裏付ける証拠はなく、わずか2つのコウモリ-ウイルスシステムで伝播が明確に文書化されていることが明らかになった。
◆研究は、将来の研究のための標準的なウイルスホストの評価を助ける提案や、学際的な協力の必要性など、幅広い示唆も提供しています。
<関連情報>
- https://www.mpg.de/21135641/1116-ornr-no-evidence-for-widespread-transmission-of-viruses-by-african-bats-987453-x
- https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0358
ほとんどのアフリカのウイルス研究では、リザーバー宿主としてのコウモリの確実な証拠が欠けている。 Robust evidence for bats as reservoir hosts is lacking in most African virus studies: a review and call to optimize sampling and conserve bats
Natalie Weber,Martina Nagy,Wanda Markotter,Juliane Schaer,Sébastien J. Puechmaille,Jack Sutton,Liliana M. Dávalos,Marie-Claire Dusabe,Imran Ejotre,M. Brock Fenton,Mirjam Knörnschild,Adrià López-Baucells,Rodrigo A. Medellin,Markus Metz,Samira Mubareka,Olivier Nsengimana,M. Teague O’Mara,Paul A. Racey,Merlin Tuttle,Innocent Twizeyimana,Amanda Vicente-Santos,Marco Tschapka,Christian C. Voigt,Martin Wikelski,Dina K.N. DechmannandDeeAnn M. Reeder
Biology Letters Published:15 November 2023
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0358
Abstract
Africa experiences frequent emerging disease outbreaks among humans, with bats often proposed as zoonotic pathogen hosts. We comprehensively reviewed virus–bat findings from papers published between 1978 and 2020 to evaluate the evidence that African bats are reservoir and/or bridging hosts for viruses that cause human disease. We present data from 162 papers (of 1322) with original findings on (1) numbers and species of bats sampled across bat families and the continent, (2) how bats were selected for study inclusion, (3) if bats were terminally sampled, (4) what types of ecological data, if any, were recorded and (5) which viruses were detected and with what methodology. We propose a scheme for evaluating presumed virus–host relationships by evidence type and quality, using the contrasting available evidence for Orthoebolavirus versus Orthomarburgvirus as an example. We review the wording in abstracts and discussions of all 162 papers, identifying key framing terms, how these refer to findings, and how they might contribute to people’s beliefs about bats. We discuss the impact of scientific research communication on public perception and emphasize the need for strategies that minimize human–bat conflict and support bat conservation. Finally, we make recommendations for best practices that will improve virological study metadata.
