Paramyxoviruses in Neotropical Bats: Analysis of Genetic Diversity, Evolution, Eco-epidemiological Factors and Possible Implications for Public Health

• Grant number: 25/06459-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Biology and Physiology of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Gustavo Bentim Góes
• Grantee: Evelyn Moura de Lima
• Host Institution: Institut Pasteur de São Paulo (IPSP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/13054-0 - Epidemiological, evolutionary and ecological spillover-risk assessment of bat viruses from Atlantic Forest Hotspot, AP.JP

Abstract

Bats are recognized as natural reservoirs of a great diversity of pathogens, including viruses of public health importance. Among these viruses, paramyxoviruses stand out for their wide distribution and zoonotic potential, including the Hendra (HeV) and Nipah (NiV) viruses, which have a high mortality rate in humans and domestic animals and are responsible for diseases of respiratory, neurological and systemic origin. Bats are also the main reservoirs of paramyxoviruses in mammals, harboring the greatest diversity of this viral group and serving as reservoirs of viruses evolutionarily related to pathogens in humans and animals. Despite the relevance of this viral group and the importance of bats as reservoirs and vectors of disease transmission in humans and animals, studies on the occurrence and genetic diversity of paramyxoviruses in Neotropical bats, and more specifically in Brazil, are still scarce. In this sense, the present study aims to analyze the genetic diversity and eco-epidemiology of Paramyxovirus in bats collected in different landscapes of the Atlantic Forest, including urban, peri-urban, rural and forest areas. The methodology will include the molecular detection of viral RNA in samples obtained from bats captured in the field, in addition to carcasses of animals received by the Zoonosis Surveillance Division of the Municipality of São Paulo. Products amplified in the viral detection assay will be used to perform subsequent phylogenetic analyses. Epidemiological data will also be analyzed, performing analyses regarding viral prevalence by species, location, nature of samples, sex, seasonality, among other factors. This project seeks to contribute to the evolutionary understanding, eco-epidemiology and genetic variability of Paramyxoviruses, providing important monitoring data in active and passive surveillance for assessing risks related to the emergence of new Paramyxoviruses with zoonotic potential in the national territory.