First molecular detection and phylogenetic characterization of herpesviruses in Sri Lankan bats

Abstract Background Herpesviruses are highly diverse and widely distributed pathogens infecting a broad range of animal hosts, including bats. Despite this wide distribution, they are typically extremely species-specific in their host associations. To better understand herpesvirus diversity in Sri Lankan bats, we screened 391 oral swab samples collected from five different bat species inhabiting Wavulgalge cave, Wellawaya (Uva Province, Sri Lanka) during three sampling periods (March 2018, July 2018, and January 2019) for herpesvirus DNA. A nested PCR assay was used, targeting the DNA polymerase gene of Herpesviruses. Results In total, 152 samples (38.87%) were tested positive, within five bat species ( Hipposideros speoris (9/22), Hipposideros lankadiva (2/4), Miniopterus phillipsi (61/224), Rousettus leschenaultii (18/46), and Rhinolophus rouxii (62/95). Statistical analysis indicated no significant difference in overall detection rates among species ( p > 0.05), whereas prevalence varied significantly across sampling periods ( p < 0.05), suggesting temporal factors such as breeding cycles or roosting behavior may influence virus transmission. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all sequences formed a distinct Sri Lankan clade, separate from global bat herpesviruses, and were distributed into two groups corresponding to betaherpesviruses and gammaherpesviruses. Alphaherpesviruses were not detected. Conclusions Notably, sequences did not cluster by host bat species, suggesting limited host specificity among the Sri Lankan bat species examined. The high prevalence across multiple species highlights the complex host–virus dynamics. Overall, this study provides the first characterization of herpesviruses in Sri Lankan bats, contributing to global knowledge of bat virology.