Novel Poxvirus in Big Brown Bats, Northwestern United States

Ginny L. Emerson

, Robert Nordhausen, Michael M. Garner, John R. Huckabee, Steven Johnson, Ron D. Wohrle, Whitni B. Davidson, Kimberly Wilkins, Yu Li, Jeffrey B. Doty, Nadia F. Gallardo-Romero, Maureen G. Metcalfe, Kevin L. Karem, Inger K. Damon, and Darin S. Carroll

Author affiliations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (G.L. Emerson, W.B. Davidson, K. Wilkins, Y. Li, J.B. Doty, N.F. Gallardo-Romero, M.G. Metcalfe, K.L. Karem, I.K. Damon, D.S. Carroll); University of California, Davis, California, USA (R. Nordhausen); Northwest ZooPath, Monroe, Washington, USA (M.M. Garner); PAWS Wildlife Center, Lynnwood, Washington, USA (J.R. Huckabee, S. Johnson); Washington State Department of Health, Tumwater, Washington, USA (R.D. Wohrle)

Abstract

A wildlife hospital and rehabilitation center in northwestern United States received several big brown bats with necrosuppurative osteomyelitis in multiple joints. Wing and joint tissues were positive by PCR for poxvirus. Thin-section electron microscopy showed poxvirus particles within A-type inclusions. Phylogenetic comparison supports establishment of a new genus of Poxviridae.

Bat species worldwide have been implicated as reservoirs for several emerging viruses, such as lyssaviruses, henipahviruses, severe acute respiratory syndrome–associated coronaviruses, and filoviruses. Bats have several physiologic, cellular, and natural history characteristics that may make them particularly suited to their role as reservoir hosts (1,2).
Chordopoxviridae is a subfamily of Poxviridae that contains large double-stranded DNA viruses that replicate in the cellular cytoplasm and are known to infect a wide range of vertebrates. Many of these viruses cause zoonotic disease in humans. Although poxviruses are known to have incorporated host genes into their genomes to subvert the host immune system (3), bats and poxviruses may also serve as facilitators in the horizontal transfer of transposable elements to other species (4–6). We report the isolation and characterization of a viable poxvirus from bats.