Oita virus rediscovered after 50 years: isolation of genetically conserved strains from bats in Southern Japan
Bats are known reservoirs of zoonotic viruses, and their proximity to humans raises concerns regarding zoonotic risks. We report the first isolation of the Oita virus (OITV), a bat-associated ledantevirus, that has circulated for over 50 years. Unlike a previous blood-derived isolate, our isolates were obtained from oral swabs, suggesting their potential for respiratory transmission. OITV could infect a wide range of mammalian cells, including human-derived cells, and induce systemic infection in mice without clinical symptoms. These findings indicate that OITV possesses a broad host tropism and may circulate among microbats through the respiratory tract. Although the pathogenicity of the newly isolated strain appears to be attenuated compared with that of a historical brain-passaged strain, its ability to replicate in human cells underscores its potential zoonotic relevance, necessitating active surveillance and functional characterization of bat-derived rhabdoviruses to better assess emerging infectious disease threats.
Authors
- Kazunori Kimitsuki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7203-0466)
- Keita Matsuno (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4205-6526)
- Kittiya Intaruck (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4868-9199)
- Mana Esaki (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3440-2687)
- Akira Nishizono (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1364-4839)
- Kosuke Okuya (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7987-9884)
- Yasuko Orba
- Masahiro Kajihara
- Naganori Nao
- Makoto Ozawa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7731-5321)
- Takaaki Yahiro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1094-4497)
- Ryo Nakao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3105-7603)
- Shihoko Sata
- Shin Murakami (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0274-9165)
- Kimitake Funakoshi
- Ayato Takada
- Satoru Sawai
Institutions
- Kagoshima University (JP)
- Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences (JP)
- Health Sciences University of Hokkaido (JP)
- Oita University (JP)
- Sapporo University (JP)
- Hokkaido University (JP)
- Sapporo International University (JP)
- University of Zambia (ZM)
- Institut de Recherche Vaccinale (FR)
- Institute of Zoology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SK)
- Institute of Parasitology (CZ)
- International University of Kagoshima (JP)
- The University of Tokyo (JP)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Microbiology Spectrum
- Published
- 2025-11-11
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.03158-25
- Primary Topic
- Virology and Viral Diseases
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00