Betaherpesvirus sequencing and qPCR on Peruvian vampire bat saliva samples.xlsx

Rabies virus is a zoonosis of concern, transmitted by the common vampire bat Desmodus rotundus, across Latin America. A herpesvirus of these bats, Desmodus rotundus betaherpesvirus (DrBHV) shows promise as a candidate for further study as a transmissible vaccine viral vector against vampire bat transmitted rabies virus. In this study, the authors use deep sequencing to investigate the circulating strains of DrBHV and aimed to answer several unresolved questions which underpin the biological suitability of DrBHV as a viral vector, how it could be deployed to natural populations, and the extent that vaccine spread would be predictable: (1) Do individual DrBHV strains reach sufficient prevalence and geographic range to plausibly dampen rabies transmission and is the geographic distribution of strains predictable?; (2) Are determinants of strain specific prevalence consistent with weak competition among strains? and (3) Do patterns of viral acquisition and viral genetic diversity within individual bats support superinfection and the of latency and reactivation dynamics expected for betaherpesviruses? The data set includes the sampling information of Peruvian vampire bat saliva samples, sequenced for the presence and strain identification of Desmodus rotundus betaherpesvirus.<br><br> <br>Ethical approval: All capture and sampling of bats was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Glasgow School of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences (Ref081/15) and by the University of Georgia Animal Care and Use Committee (A2014 04-016-Y3-A5). Field collections were authorized by the Peruvian government (RD‐009‐2015‐SERFOR‐DGGSPFFS, RD‐264‐2015 SERFOR‐DGGSPFFS, RD‐142‐2015‐ SERFOR‐DGGSPFFS, RD‐054‐2016‐SERFOR‐DGGSPFFS).<br><br> <br>Vampire bats were captured between 2013 and 2018 at 23 colonies across 8 administrative regions (Amazonas, Apurímac, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Cusco, Huánuco, Lima, and Loreto) of Peru. Bats were captured using mist nets and harp traps, then placed in individual cloth bags before processing and sampling. Bats were aged as juvenile, sub-adult or adult by observation of the epiphyseal–diaphyseal fusion; sex and reproductive status were also recorded. Saliva swab samples were collected by allowing bats to chew on sterile cotton‐tipped wooden swabs (Fisherbrand) for 10s.<br><br><br><br>