Henipaviruses at the Interface Between Bats, Livestock and Human Population in Africa.

The research article outlines the prevalence and impact of henipaviruses, such as the Nipah virus (NiV) and Hendra virus (HeV), which mainly occur in fruit bats and are increasingly observed in Africa. It dissects the potential transmission to livestock and humans and highlights the need for further investigations in this subject area.

Henipavirus and Its Emergence

• The research focuses on NiV and HeV, members of the Henipavirus genus within the Paramyxoviridae family. Fruit bats are primarily responsible for carrying and spreading these viruses.
• The first NiV infections were discovered in pigs and humans in Malaysia, while HeV infections were first observed in horses and humans in Australia. Both caused significant effects on animal and human health in these areas.
• Henipaviruses pose an ongoing threat to humans and livestock in Southeast Asia and Australia, notably impacting public health and the economy.

Hippavirus in Africa

• More recently, henipavirus-specific antibodies have been identified in fruit bats in various sub-Saharan African countries and Brazil. This development expands our understanding of the geographic distribution of henipaviruses, presenting Africa as a new high prevalence zone.
• Evidence of past infections in several African countries, including Madagascar, Ghana, Republic of Congo, Gulf of Guinea, Zambia, Tanzania, Cameroon, and Nigeria, reinforce this conclusion.
• While serological data suggests the spillover of the henipavirus from bats to livestock and human populations in Africa, no reported clinical diseases in these species have emerged yet.
• Despite continuous attempts, the isolation of the virus has been unsuccessful, demonstrating a knowledge gap and emphasizing the need for further investigations.

The Ghana Virus and Henipavirus Genetic Diversity

• The Ghana virus (GhV), found in a pteropid bat, is the only African henipavirus that has been fully sequenced. This fact limits our current understanding of the genetic diversity and pathogenesis of African henipaviruses.
• The study ends by summarizing available data on the circulation of henipaviruses in Africa and discussing potential sources for virus spillover while pointing out existing research gaps.

The research article underlines the need for continued global surveillance to understand the henipavirus spillover from bats to humans and the potential risk for future outbreaks, particularly in Africa. It calls for more efforts in studying the genetic diversity of these viruses for better preparedness and response to future potential epidemic or pandemic scenarios.