Fig 1.
Percent weight change of inoculated and control bats.
Percent weight change in grams comparison between experimental bats (n = 12; red) and negative control bats (n = 3; blue).
Fig 2.
Sosuga virus RNA detected in blood of inoculated bats.
Sosuga virus RNA levels in the blood (TCID50/mL equivalent) of individual bats that were sampled daily until their time of euthanasia. Individual bats are depicted by symbols (dot, square and triangle) and color-coded according to their day of euthanasia (red = day 3, gray = day 6, green = day 9, and orange = day 21). The total number of bats sampled according to days-post inoculation (DPI) were: 0–3 DPI = 12 bats, 4–6 DPI = 9 bats, 7–9 DPI = 6 bats, and 10–21 DPI = 3 bats. The mean viral RNA levels in the blood (TCID50/mL equivalent) for all bats according to DPI are shown as a dashed black line with yellow dots.
Fig 3.
Sosuga virus RNA detected in tissues of inoculated bats.
Mean Sosuga virus RNA levels (TCID50/g equivalent) in groups of three bats euthanized at 3, 6, 9- and 21-days post inoculation in (A) spleen, liver, colon/rectum, and axillary lymph node, (B) lung, heart, kidney, and small intestine, (C) eye, salivary gland, and skin at inoculation site and (D) testes, bone marrow and brain. Each symbol (point) represents the mean viral load detected in the corresponding tissue collected from the 3 bats euthanized on that day. For reference, the mean viral loads detected in blood from the same bats euthanized on that day are shown as a dashed black line with yellow dots.
Table 1.
Tissues qRT-PCR positive for Sosuga virus RNA.
Fig 4.
Sosuga virus antibody detected in inoculated bats.
Serology results using an infectious based Sosuga virus antigen and anti-goat IgG. Sosuga virus IgG antibodies measured by indirect ELISA assay are shown as adjusted sum optical density (OD) values by day post-inoculation (DPI) for all infected bats (n = 12) at the time of euthanasia (0–9 DPI) and every other day beginning on 10 DPI for bats euthanized on 21 DPI. Results were considered positive (seroconversion) at a sum OD of ≥3.0.
Fig 5.
Mild pathologic effects of infection with Sosuga virus in the salivary gland and small intestine of inoculated bats.
(A) Low magnification photomicrographs of the salivary gland from a 6-day post-inoculation (DPI) bat (284899) showing marked numbers of granulocytic inflammatory cells surrounding and infiltrating an intralobular duct (arrow). (B) Higher magnification photomicrographs of the same interlobular duct. Multiple ductular epithelial cells exhibit degeneration and few are necrotic, with hypereosinophilic cytoplasm and pyknotic nuclei (arrowhead). This bat was strongly qRT-PCR positive for SOSV in the salivary gland at necropsy (++++) and SOSV was detected in oral swabs at 5 and 6 DPI. (C) Positive hybridization signal for SOSV matrix protein gene (red chromogen) in the large intestinal gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) from bat 289953 hematoxylin counterstain; original magnification 400x.
Fig 6.
Sosuga virus RNA in urine and swabs (oral and rectal) from inoculated bats.
Viral RNA levels (TCID50/mL equivalent) in (A) urine, (B) oral swabs and (C) rectal swabs by post-inoculation day. Infected bats are shown as one of three symbols (dot, square, or triangle) representing an individual bat sampled on a given day and then color coded for the day the bat was terminally sampled (red = day 3, gray = day 6, green = day 9, and orange = day 21). Swab viral levels (TCID50/mL equivalent) are equivalents of a SOSV stock tested (see Materials and methods), not the actual amount of virus in saliva or feces because the volume of absorbed oral secretion could not be precisely calculated. The rectal swab from which SOSV was isolated (panel A) is represented by an asterisk (*) by an orange square on day 19. Similarly, the SOSV isolate from a urine sample (panel C) is represented by an asterisk (*) by an orange square on day 21. For reference, the mean viral loads detected in blood from the bats euthanized on days 3, 6, 9, and 21 are shown as a dashed black line with yellow dots.