Tick salivary gland components dampen Kasokero virus infection and shedding in its vertebrate reservoir, the Egyptian rousette bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus)

• Published in: Parasites & vectors Vol. 16; no. 1; p. 249
• Main Authors: Schuh, Amy J, Amman, Brian R, Guito, Jonathan C, Graziano, James C, Sealy, Tara K, Towner, Jonathan S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 24.07.2023; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Analysis; Animal diseases; Animal models; Arachnids; Bats; Brief Report; Chiroptera; Communicable diseases; Components; Development and progression; Disease transmission; Ectoparasites; Encephalitis; Exocrine glands; Health aspects; Host-virus relationships; Hypothesis testing; Infection; Infections; Inoculation; Loads (forces); Lymphatic system; National parks; Pathogens; Physiological aspects; Proteins; Rectum; Risk factors; RNA virus infections; Rousettus aegyptiacus; Saliva; Salivary gland; Salivary glands; Shedding; Ticks; Urine; Vertebrates; Viral infections; Virus; Viruses; Zoonoses; United States; Egypt; United States > US; Uganda; Infection; Vector-borne diseases; Virus; Infectious disease reservoir; Ticks; Viruses; Host interactions; Insect vectors; Saliva; Chiroptera; Zoonoses
• ISSN: 1756-3305; 1756-3305
• DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05853-7

The human-pathogenic Kasokero virus (KASV) circulates in an enzootic transmission cycle between Egyptian rousette bats (ERBs; Rousettus aegyptiacus) and their argasid tick ectoparasites, Ornithodoros (Reticulinasus) faini. Although tick salivary gland components have been shown to potentiate virus infection in vertebrate non-reservoirs (i.e. incidental hosts or small animal models of disease), there is a lack of information on the effect of tick salivary gland components on viral infection and shedding in vertebrate reservoirs. To determine the impact of tick salivary gland components on KASV infection and shedding in ERBs, KASV loads were quantified in blood, oral swab, rectal swab, and urine specimens collected daily through 18 days post inoculation from groups of ERBs intradermally inoculated with KASV or KASV + O. (R.) faini tick salivary gland extract (SGE). Bats inoculated with KASV + tick SGE had significantly lower peak and cumulative KASV viremias and rectal shedding loads compared to bats inoculated with KASV only. We report for the first time to our knowledge that tick salivary gland components dampen arbovirus infection and shedding in a vertebrate reservoir. This study advances our understanding of biological factors underlying arbovirus maintenance in nature.