Emerging Infectious Diseases (Aug 2019)

Marburgvirus in Egyptian Fruit Bats, Zambia

  • Masahiro Kajihara,
  • Bernard M. Hang’ombe,
  • Katendi Changula,
  • Hayato Harima,
  • Mao Isono,
  • Kosuke Okuya,
  • Reiko Yoshida,
  • Akina Mori-Kajihara,
  • Yoshiki Eto,
  • Yasuko Orba,
  • Hirohito Ogawa,
  • Yongjin Qiu,
  • Hirofumi Sawa,
  • Edgar Simulundu,
  • Daniel Mwizabi,
  • Musso Munyeme,
  • David Squarre,
  • Victor Mukonka,
  • Aaron Mweene,
  • Ayato Takada

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2508.190268
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 25, no. 8
pp. 1577 – 1580

Abstract

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We detected Marburg virus genome in Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) captured in Zambia in September 2018. The virus was closely related phylogenetically to the viruses that previously caused Marburg outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This finding demonstrates that Zambia is at risk for Marburg virus disease.

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