Serological Evidence of Hantavirus in Bats from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: An Investigation of Seroreactivity and Cross-Reactivity of Neotropical Bat Samples Using Nucleoproteins of Rodent- and Bat-Borne Hantaviruses

Hantaviruses are zoonotic pathogens associated with severe human diseases such as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Despite the extensive study of rodent-borne hantaviruses, research on bat-associated hantaviruses remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence and cross-reactivity of neotropical bat samples with rodent- and bat-associated recombinant hantavirus nucleoproteins (rNPs) to improve hantavirus surveillance in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. The studied bat population consisted of 336 blood samples collected over nearly a decade in five Brazilian states (Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, Paraná, and Minas Gerais). Antibodies were detected using IgG ELISA assays with rNPs from bat-borne <i>Mobatvirus xuansonense</i> (XSV) and <i>Loanvirus brunaense</i> (BRNV) and the rodent-borne hantaviruses <i>Orthohantavirus andesense</i> (ANDV) and <i>Orthohantavirus seoulense</i> (SEOV). Results indicated a higher seroprevalence for the BRNV rNP (36.6%) compared to ANDV (7.4%), SEOV (5.7%), and XSV (0.6%). The high sensitivity of the BRNV rNP and the cross-reactivity observed with the ANDV rNP, the main protein used for serological tests in the Americas, indicates that BRNV rNP is a better antigen for the accurate detection of antibodies against hantaviruses in Brazilian bats. These findings underscore the presence of unknown hantaviruses antigenically similar to BRNV in Brazilian bat populations and highlight the urgent need for identifying better antigens for comprehensive hantavirus monitoring in bats.