Astroviruses in terrestrial Malagasy mammals

• Published in: PLoS neglected tropical diseases Vol. 18; no. 6; p. e0012263
• Main Authors: Carcauzon, Victoria, Herrera, James P, Kaufman, Kayla, Baudino, Fiona, Wickenkamp, Natalie, Randriamoria, Toky M, Soarimalala, Voahangy, Goodman, Steven M, Nunn, Charles L, Lebarbenchon, Camille, Tortosa, Pablo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 14.06.2024; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Agriculture; Agroforestry; Animals; Astroviridae; Biology and Life Sciences; Colon; Computer and Information Sciences; Distribution; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Endemic species; Environmental aspects; Food contamination & poisoning; Gastroenteritis; Habitats; Health aspects; Hosts; Human populations; Infections; Introduced species; Land use; Life Sciences; Mammals; Medicine and Health Sciences; National parks; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Population studies; Regrowth; Research and Analysis Methods; Rice; Rice fields; Risk analysis; RNA viruses; Rodents; Rural areas; Rural land use; Rural populations; Seasons; Small mammals; Viral infections; Viruses; Zoonoses; Madagascar; United States > US; California
• ISSN: 1935-2735; 1935-2727; 1935-2735
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012263

Small terrestrial mammals are major hosts of infectious agents responsible for zoonotic diseases. Astroviruses (AstVs)-the cause of non-bacterial gastroenteritis mainly affecting young children-have been detected in a wide array of mammalian and avian host species. However, understanding the factors that influence AstV infection within and across hosts is limited. Here, we investigated the impact of land use changes on AstVs in terrestrial small mammals in rural northeastern Madagascar. We sampled 515 small mammals, representing seven endemic and four introduced species. Twenty-two positive samples were identified, all but one of which were found in the introduced species Mus musculus and Rattus rattus (family Muridae), with a positivity rate of 7.7% (6/78) and 5.6% (15/266), respectively. The non-introduced rodent case was from an endemic shrew-tenrec (family Tenrecidae). We found the highest positivity rate of AstVs infection in brushy regrowth (17.5%, 7/40) as compared to flooded rice fields (4.60%, 8/174), secondary forest (4.1%, 3/74), agroforest (3.6%, 1/28), village (2.61%, 3/115), and semi-intact forest (0%, 0/84). A phylogenetic analysis revealed an association between AstVs and their rodent host species. None of the viruses were phylogenetically related to AstVs previously described in Malagasy bats. This study supports AstV circulation in synanthropic animals in agricultural habitats of Madagascar and highlights the need to assess the spillover risk to human populations in rural areas.