
@article {90599,
	title = {High prevalence and diversity of Bartonella in small mammals from the biodiverse Western Ghats.},
	journal = {PLoS Negl Trop Dis},
	volume = {15},
	year = {2021},
	month = {2021 Mar},
	pages = {e0009178},
	abstract = {<p>Bartonella species are recognized globally as emerging zoonotic pathogens. Small mammals such as rodents and shrews are implicated as major natural reservoirs for these microbial agents. Nevertheless, in several tropical countries, like India, the diversity of Bartonella in small mammals remain unexplored and limited information exists on the natural transmission cycles (reservoirs and vectors) of these bacteria. Using a multi-locus sequencing approach, we investigated the prevalence, haplotype diversity, and phylogenetic affinities of Bartonella in small mammals and their associated mites in a mixed-use landscape in the biodiverse Western Ghats in southern India. We sampled 141 individual small mammals belonging to eight species. Bartonella was detected in five of the eight species, including three previously unknown hosts. We observed high interspecies variability of Bartonella prevalence in the host community. However, the overall prevalence (52.5\%) and haplotype diversity (0.9) was high for the individuals tested. Of the seven lineages of Bartonella identified in our samples, five lineages were phylogenetically related to putative zoonotic species-B. tribocorum, B. queenslandensis, and B. elizabethae. Haplotypes identified from mites were identical to those identified from their host species. This indicates that these Bartonella species may be zoonotic, but further work is necessary to confirm whether these are pathogenic and pose a threat to humans. Taken together, these results emphasize the presence of hitherto unexplored diversity of Bartonella in wild and synanthropic small mammals in mixed-use landscapes. The study also highlights the necessity to assess the risk of spillover to humans and other incidental hosts.</p>
},
	issn = {1935-2735},
	doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0009178},
	author = {Ansil, B R and Mendenhall, Ian H and Ramakrishnan, Uma}
}
@article {67828,
	title = {Filovirus-reactive antibodies in humans and bats in Northeast India imply zoonotic spillover.},
	journal = {PLoS Negl Trop Dis},
	volume = {13},
	year = {2019},
	month = {2019 Oct},
	pages = {e0007733},
	abstract = {<p>Bats are reservoirs for several zoonotic pathogens, including filoviruses. Recent work highlights the diversity of bat borne filoviruses in Asia. High risk activities at the bat-human interface pose the threat of zoonotic virus transmission. We present evidence for prior exposure of bat harvesters and two resident fruit bat species to filovirus surface glycoproteins by screening sera in a multiplexed serological assay. Antibodies reactive to two antigenically distinct filoviruses were detected in human sera and to three individual filoviruses in bats in remote Northeast India. Sera obtained from Eonycteris spelaea bats showed similar patterns of cross-reactivity as human samples, suggesting them as the species responsible for the spillover. In contrast, sera from Rousettus leschenaultii bats reacted to two different virus glycoproteins. Our results indicate circulation of several filoviruses in bats and the possibility for filovirus transmission from bats to humans.</p>
},
	issn = {1935-2735},
	doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0007733},
	author = {Dovih, Pilot and Laing, Eric D and Chen, Yihui and Low, Dolyce H W and Ansil, B R and Yang, Xinglou and Shi, Zhengli and Broder, Christopher C and Smith, Gavin J D and Linster, Martin and Ramakrishnan, Uma and Mendenhall, Ian H}
}
