This is another newly discovered zoonotic paramyxovirus virus from Australia associated with fruit bats! (See also Hendra virus and Nipah virus)

Background:

Beginning in April, 1997, a 2600 sow piggery in New South Wales, Australia began to experience higher than normal rates of reproductive problems. Signs included:

• decreased farrowing rates and occasional abortions
• increased numbers of mummified fetuses and stillbirths
• deformities (arthrogryposis, brachygnathia)

Histologically, affected piglets had severe degeneration of the brain and spinal cord, with both intranuclear and intracytoplasmic inclusions; some had fibrinous effusions in body cavities. A new virus, Menangle virus, was isolated from lung, brain and heart tissues of affected piglets. This virus produces syncytia in cell culture and, by EM, is morphologically similar to paramyxoviruses. It is antigenically and genetically distinct from Hendra virus.

• More than 90% of pigs of all ages in the piggery developed antibodies against Menangle virus.

Menangle virus infections in humans:

• 2 of 250 workers exposed to infected pigs developed influenza-like illness and rash and seroconverted to Menangle virus.

Reservoir:

As with Hendra virus and Nipah virus, serologic evidence suggests that this virus may be reservoired in fruit bats. Interestingly, the affected piggery had been operated near a large bat colony for over 30 years! And of importance, serum samples collected from the bats prior to the outbreak in pigs were positive, suggesting that this virus was in bats first.

(Note: As of 2000, ANOTHER new paramyxovirus named Tioman virus, that is most closely related to Menangle virus, has been isolated from fruit bats in Malaysia.)

References:

Chant, et al. 1998. Probable human infection with a newly described virus in the family Paramyxoviridae. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 4:273-275.

Chua K.B. et al. 2001. Tioman virus, a novel paramyxovirus isolated from fruit bats in Malaysia. Virology 283:215-29.

Love, R.J. et al. 2000. Menangle virus, a new cause of reproductive failure in pigs. Proceedings of the 16th Congress of the International Pig Veterinary Society, Melbourne, Australia, September 17-20:544-545.

Mackenzie, J.S. et al. 2001. Emerging viral diseases of Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 7:497-504
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Philbey, A.W. et al. 1998. An apparently new virus (family Paramyxoviridae) infectious for pigs, humans and fruit bats. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 4:269-271.