Egyptian rousette bat (ERB) and human macrophage responses to MARV and SUDV

Egyptian rousette bats (ERBs) are natural reservoirs of Marburg virus (MARV), etiologic agent of viral hemorrhagic fever in humans. However, ERBs experimentally infected with other filoviruses, such as Sudan virus (SUDV), efficiently clear infection, evidencing differential control of filoviruses in these bats. Considering the importance of host macrophages as initial filovirus targets in both bats and humans, we queried whether MARV counters normal ERB macrophage responses, illuminating co-adapted host responses not observed following infection with SUDV. Additionally, we performed direct comparative analysis of ERB and human macrophage responses to early MARV infection in vitro.