One Health approach to understand, predict and prevent viral emergencies from bats

Project Information

OneBAT

Grant agreement ID: 101095712

DOI

10.3030/101095712

EC signature date 27 September 2023

Start date 1 December 2023

End date 30 November 2026

Funded under

• Health

Total cost

€ 2 128 100,00

EU contribution

€ 2 122 287,50

Coordinated by

ISTITUTO ZOOPROFILATTICO SPERIMENTALE DELLE VENEZIE
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - OneBAT (One Health approach to understand, predict and prevent viral emergencies from bats)

Reporting period: 2023-12-01 to 2025-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The emergence of zoonotic diseases represents a serious threat for public health. Among emerging pathogens, RNA viruses circulating in wildlife are increasingly spilling over to humans directly, or through domestic animals as an intermediate host. In recent years, many novel RNA viruses have been found in bats that are related (or potentially related) to the emergence of human diseases. However, despite the mere virus detection in the natural host, little has been investigated about the mechanism underlying the emergence of RNA viruses from bats to humans, that includes several variables triggering together the final pathogen's emergence, such as: (i) the distribution and possible movements/migration pattern of the natural host, (ii) the dynamics of the pathogen, including within-species transmission, shedding and resistance in the environment, (iii) the interaction and interface between the natural host and the accidental host, and (iv) the virus ability to infect and cause disease in humans and to transmit person-to-person. With OneBAT, we aim to shift the focus from detecting the pathogen itself to understanding the drivers and predicting the consequences of possible viral emergence from European bats. For this, a harmonized surveillance system still needs to be established to produce consistent data. The project focuses in one bat species, the bent-winged bat Miniopterus schreibersii, that is known to harbor all the high-consequences RNA viruses of interest in Europe, namely lyssaviruses, coronaviruses and filoviruses. Furthermore, the project has the ambition of creating a dashboard of virological and ecological tools with applications far beyond the project itself to investigate possible future emergences from different bat species. To create a tangible impact, all methods, knowledge and resources are intended to be made available to a wider network of experts who are therefore the main beneficiaries of the project's results dissemination and training activities. OneBAT will also involve stakeholders by providing an evidence-based tool that will be suitable for the risk-assessment and mapping of local emergencies of the target viruses from the target bat.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the first half of the project, OneBAT has enlarged the geographical range of capture-mark-recapture studies on the Miniopterus schreibersii bats using passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags, scaling from two (France and Italy) up to five European countries (Cyprus, Hungary and Spain). This has been achieved through field training and guidance across the consortium and will allow the collection of a homogeneous amount of data on animal movements across the continent. OneBAT has also selected specific sites across the beneficiary countries that can be suitable for automated telemetry and installed a first station in Spain, thus piloting this innovative technique to be complementary to the use of PIT tags. These activities are crucial to understand current how and where bats move, and how human actions will alter their future distribution and habits.
OneBAT has also established a harmonized SOP for bat sanitary investigation spanning from the collection of ecological and biological samples to the laboratory methods to apply. To date, the same SOP is in use in the five beneficiary countries involved in field activities, aiming at the collection and virological screening of biological samples from eleven roosts. Along with the biological material, ecological parameters have been also collected following the SOP in all the roosts. Collected data aim at better understanding the dynamics of coronaviruses, lyssaviruses and the filovirus LLOV in their natural host. Considering the methodological platform, OneBAT was able to evaluate the applicability of several molecular assays for screening purpose, to develop innovative serological and virological assays, namely a Luminex protocol for the antibody detection of two lyssaviruses, a triplex pseudo-virus neutralization assay for the simultaneous detection of three target viruses, and two methods for full-genome sequencing of the target viruses (LLOV and LLEBV). We also applied the Luminex technology for the detection of specific anti-coronavirus antibodies from feces.
OneBAT has also established all the necessary documents and settled or even started the experiments that will be pivotal to assess the pathogenicity of lyssaviruses and filoviruses in accidental hosts. This is being achieved thanks to the in vitro platform of bat cells and tissues developed under concurrent or previous projects and selected by the OneBAT consortium. Moreover, the project is currently scanning for the susceptibility of lyssavirus and filovirus to available therapeutics.
With regards to the interface between bats as natural hosts and other accidental hosts, OneBAT has enrolled almost 300 domestic cats and 250 wild carnivores that will be tested to assess and quantify the exposure of carnivores to bats and bat’s pathogens. Sera and lung extracts have been collected from Italy and Hungary and will be scanned for the presence of specific antibodies against the target viruses. OneBAT has also developed a questionnaire aiming at quantifying the level of exposure of wildlife rehabilitators and bat rehabilitators. So far, 150 persons have been invited to fill in the questionnaire and 111 of them already completed it.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

OneBAT will contribute to advances in our understanding of key drivers leading to the spillover of viruses from wildlife (particularly from bats) to humans. The project will offer novel tools for an early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment in humans for better preparedness to Disease X. This could be achieved through future exploitation of collected data to design diagnostic kits, and therapeutic and prophylactic agents.
OneBAT will also create a path towards clear and easy communications protocols to be adopted with the public and with the health authorities about emerging infectious diseases associated with bats and more generally with wildlife.
OneBat dissemination activities target high-risk categories (such as bat enthusiasts, cavers, people working in wildlife rehabilitation centers but also small animal practitioners that might be exposed to bridge hosts) and will reach potential users outside the consortium, globally, in the EU territories but also outside Europe. By preventing the occurrence and reducing the impact due to the emergence of a Disease X in human populations, OneBAT will help maintaining the expenditures for most other communicable diseases.