Can the Egyptian Fruit Bat’s Unusual Genome show us How to Fight Deadly Marburg Virus?
Original article from Genetic Literacy Project by Ricki Lewis June 5, 2018
The Egyptian fruit bat’s immune system enables it to peacefully co-exist with Marburg virus, which can cause a swiftly deadly infection in humans. Although Marburg virus disease affects only a few dozen or hundred people a year, the case:fatality ratio in the scattered outbreaks ranges from 50% to 100%. A recent paper in Cell that explores the bat’s genome reveals how its immune system may prevent the virus from harming the flying mammals, which may hold clues for preventing or treating the infection in humans.
The Egyptian fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus lives in groups of 1,000 to more than 100,000 in caves and mines in many places in Africa. The bat weighs less than half a pound and is only half a foot long, but the wings stretch to two feet. Males are distinguishable by their large scrotums, and the bats are highly vocal.
Marburg virus, and the related Ebola virus, are filoviruses. They have a single strand of RNA as their genetic material.
People are infected with Marburg virus when they touch bat excrement, body fluids, or tissue, and can transmit the infection to other people through direct contact. After an incubation period of 2 to 21 days, the illness starts suddenly with high fever, excruciating headache, and aches and pains. Day three brings severe watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and nausea and vomiting.