Serological evidence of virus infection in Eidolon helvum fruit bats: implications for bushmeat consumption in Nigeria

Introduction: The Eidolon helvum fruit bat is one of the most widely distributed

fruit bats in Africa and known to be a reservoir for several pathogenic viruses that

can cause disease in animals and humans. To assess the risk of zoonotic spillover,

we conducted a serological survey of 304 serum samples from E. helvum bats

that were captured for human consumption in Makurdi, Nigeria.

Methods: Using pseudotyped viruses, we screened 304 serum samples for

neutralizing antibodies against viruses from the Coronaviridae, Filoviridae,

Orthomyxoviridae and Paramyxoviridae families.

Results: We report the presence of neutralizing antibodies against henipavirus

lineage GH-M74a virus (odds ratio 6.23; p < 0.001), Nipah virus (odds ratio 4.04;

p = 0.00031), bat influenza H17N10 virus (odds ratio 7.25; p < 0.001) and no

significant association with Ebola virus (odds ratio 0.56; p = 0.375) in this bat

cohort.

Conclusion: The data suggest a potential risk of zoonotic spillover including

the possible circulation of highly pathogenic viruses in E. helvum populations.

These findings highlight the importance of maintaining sero-surveillance of E.

helvum, and the necessity for further, more comprehensive investigations to

monitor changes in virus prevalence, distribution over time, and across different

geographic locations.

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