|
1
|
Evans TS, Tan CW, Aung O, Phyu S, Lin H, Coffey LL, Toe AT, Aung P, Aung TH, Aung NT, Weiss CM, Thant KZ, Htun ZT, Murray S, Wang L, Johnson CK, Thu HM. Exposure to diverse sarbecoviruses indicates frequent zoonotic spillover in human communities interacting with wildlife. Int J Infect Dis 2023; 131:57-64. [PMID: 36870470 PMCID: PMC9981523 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2023.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sarbecoviruses are a subgenus of Coronaviridae that mostly infect bats with known potential to infect humans (SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2). Populations in Southeast Asia, where these viruses are most likely to emerge, have been undersurveyed to date. METHODS We surveyed communities engaged in extractive industries and bat guano harvesting from rural areas in Myanmar. Participants were screened for exposure to sarbecoviruses, and their interactions with wildlife were evaluated to determine the factors associated with exposure to sarbecoviruses. RESULTS Of 693 people screened between July 2017 and February 2020, 12.1% were seropositive for sarbecoviruses. Individuals were significantly more likely to have been exposed to sarbecoviruses if their main livelihood involved working in extractive industries (logging, hunting, or harvesting of forest products; odds ratio [OR] = 2.71, P = 0.019) or had been hunting/slaughtering bats (OR = 6.09, P = 0.020). Exposure to a range of bat and pangolin sarbecoviruses was identified. CONCLUSION Exposure to diverse sarbecoviruses among high-risk human communities provides epidemiologic and immunologic evidence that zoonotic spillover is occurring. These findings inform risk mitigation efforts needed to decrease disease transmission at the bat-human interface, as well as future surveillance efforts warranted to monitor isolated populations for viruses with pandemic potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tierra Smiley Evans
- Epicenter for Disease Dynamics, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA.
| | - Chee Wah Tan
- Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ohnmar Aung
- Epicenter for Disease Dynamics, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Sabai Phyu
- Tropical and Infectious Diseases Department, Specialist Hospital Waibargi, University of Medicine (2), Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Htin Lin
- Department of Medical Research, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Lark L Coffey
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Department, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Aung Than Toe
- Epicenter for Disease Dynamics, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Pyaephyo Aung
- Nature Conservation Society Myanmar, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Tin Htun Aung
- Nature Conservation Society Myanmar, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Nyein Thu Aung
- Epicenter for Disease Dynamics, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Christopher M Weiss
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology Department, University of California, Davis, USA
| | | | | | - Suzan Murray
- Global Health Program, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, USA
| | - Linfa Wang
- Duke-National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Christine Kreuder Johnson
- Epicenter for Disease Dynamics, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
|
2
|
Evans TS, Myat TW, Hom NS, Ricks KM, Maw MT, Oo ZM, Toe AT, Aung NT, Aung P, Aung TH, Kuehnert P, Thant KZ, Win YT, Thein WZ, Gardner NR, Schoepp RJ, Johnson CK, Thu HM. Seroepidemiologic Survey of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Logging Communities, Myanmar. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 27:1709-1713. [PMID: 34013868 PMCID: PMC8153884 DOI: 10.3201/eid2706.203223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is endemic in Asia, infecting many animal hosts, but CCHFV has not been reported in Myanmar. We conducted a seroepidemiologic survey of logging communities in Myanmar and found CCHFV exposure was common (9.8%) and exposure to wild animal blood and body fluids was associated with seropositivity.
Collapse
|