Molecular surveillance of mammalian orthoreovirus in bat and swine populations
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[EMBARGOED UNTIL 08/01/2026] Mammalian orthoreovirus (MRV) affects a wide range of mammalian species, including humans, bats, and domestic and wild animals. Genetic reassortment among different strains of MRVs increases potential for the emergence of variants that can further expand their host range beyond what is presently known. Evidence of interspecies transmission raises a zoonotic concern, as MRV has previously been reported to cause respiratory, gastrointestinal, and neurological disturbances in infected hosts including humans. Although bats and pigs have been recognized as reservoir and mixing hosts for many agents of viral zoonoses, not much information has been documented about the infection of MRVs in bat and pig populations to date. Herein, we screened 565 bats, and 362 lung and intestinal tissue homogenates of swine samples collected in the USA in 2022 and 2024, respectively, to determine the prevalence of MRVs in bats and swine using a real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assay. Results showed that all bats were negative for MRVs, whereas two swine tissue homogenates; one from lung and one from intestine samples were positive for MRV. These results suggest that MRV's has shown tropism for both respiratory and gastrointestinal organs. However, attempts to isolate the virus in MDCK cells failed despite high viral genome copy numbers. Although our results suggest low MRV prevalence in both bat and pig populations, it is difficult to draw conclusions about MRV prevalence in both species due to our study limitations. Further studies are needed to understand MRV prevalence in bats and swine in the USA.
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M.S.