ORCID Profile
0000-0002-5490-2910
Current Organisation
University of Nottingham
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
Publisher: Microbiology Society
Date: 2003
Abstract: Infection of laboratory mice by the Murid herpesvirus 4 (MHV-4) is a much studied model system for gammaherpesvirus pathogenesis. Little, however, is known about its natural host range, epidemiology and pathogenesis outside the laboratory. We have studied MHV-4 infection in free-living murids in the UK. Using a combination of serology and PCR analysis, we found that MHV-4 was endemic in wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) but not in two species of voles (Clethrionomys glareolus, Microtus agrestis). The sites of detection of viral DNA were the lungs and, less commonly, the spleen, emphasizing the importance of the former in virus persistence during natural infection and confirming similar data in laboratory mice.
Publisher: Microbiology Society
Date: 14-06-2023
DOI: 10.1099/JGV.0.001859
Abstract: Horseshoe bats are the natural hosts of the Sarbecovirus subgenus that includes SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV- 2. Despite the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still little known about the underlying epidemiology and virology of sarbecoviruses in their natural hosts, leaving large gaps in our pandemic preparedness. Here we describe the results of PCR testing for sarbecoviruses in the two horseshoe bat species ( Rhinolophus hipposideros and R. ferrumequinum ) present in Great Britain, collected in 2021–22 during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic. One hundred and ninety seven R. hipposideros s les from 33 roost sites and 277 R . ferrumequinum s les from 20 roost sites were tested. No coronaviruses were detected in any s les from R. ferrumequinum whereas 44 and 56 % of in idual and pooled (respectively) faecal s les from R. hipposideros across multiple roost sites tested positive in a sarbecovirus-specific qPCR. Full genome sequences were generated from three of the positive s les (and partial genomes from two more) using Illumina RNAseq on unenriched s les. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the obtained sequences belong to the same monophyletic clade, with % similarity to previously-reported European isolates from R. hipposideros . The sequences differed in the presence or absence of accessory genes ORF 7b, 9b and 10. All lacked the furin cleavage site of SARS-CoV-2 spike gene and are therefore unlikely to be infective for humans. These results demonstrate a lack, or at least low incidence, of SARS-CoV-2 spill over from humans to susceptible GB bats, and confirm that sarbecovirus infection is widespread in R. hipposideros . Despite frequently sharing roost sites with R. ferrumequinum , no evidence of cross-species transmission was found.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 16-11-2019
DOI: 10.1101/844340
Abstract: Hantaviruses are a erse group of single-stranded, negative-sensed RNA viruses, known to cause sporadic outbreaks of potentially fatal human disease. To date, only two Orthohantavirus species have been detected in the UK - Seoul virus and Tatenale. Whilst Seoul is known to be pathogenic in humans, only partial fragments of Tatenale have been recovered, precluding any accurate analysis of its phylogeny or potential pathogenicity. To overcome this shortfall we used a degenerate primer PCR method to identify Tatenale-infection in rodents living in two separate locations in the UK. PCR positive s les were then subjected to either unbiased high-throughput sequencing or overlapping PCR product sequencing to recover the complete coding sequence of the Tatenale virus. This analysis provided in-depth insight into the evolutionary origins of this recently identified UK Orthohantavirus and unequivocally showed that Tatenale virus meets the established criteria for classification as a novel species. Crucially, our data will facilitate in vitro investigation into the zoonotic potential of Tatenale virus.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 31-12-2019
DOI: 10.3390/V12010047
Abstract: The advent of unbiased metagenomic virus discovery has revolutionized studies of virus bio ersity and evolution. Despite this, our knowledge of the virosphere, including in mammalian species, remains limited. We used unbiased metagenomic sequencing to identify RNA viruses in European field voles and rabbits. Accordingly, we identified a number of novel RNA viruses including astrovirus, rotavirus A, picorna-like virus and a narmovirus (paramyxovirus). In addition, we identified a sobemovirus and a novel luteovirus that likely originated from the rabbit diet. These newly discovered viruses were often ergent from those previously described. The novel astrovirus was most closely related to a virus s led from the rodent-eating European roller bird (Coracias garrulous). PCR screening revealed that the novel narmovirus in the UK field vole had a prevalence of approximately 4%, and shared common ancestry with other rodent narmoviruses s led globally. Two novel rotavirus A sequences were detected in a UK field vole and a French rabbit, the latter with a prevalence of 5%. Finally, a highly ergent picorna-like virus found in the gut of the French rabbit virus was only ~35% similar to an arilivirus at the amino acid level, suggesting the presence of a novel viral genus within the Picornaviridae.
Publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Date: 09-2008
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 14-02-2023
DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.14.528476
Abstract: Horseshoe bats are the natural hosts of the Sarbecovirus subgenus that includes SARS-CoV-1 and 2. Despite the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still little known about the underlying epidemiology and virology of sarbecoviruses in their natural hosts, leaving large gaps in our pandemic preparedness. Here we describe the results of PCR testing for sarbecoviruses in the two horseshoe bat species ( Rhinolophus hipposideros and R. ferrumequinum ) present in Great Britain, collected in 2021-22 during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic. One hundred and ninety seven R. hipposideros s les from 33 roost sites and 277 R. ferremequinum s les from 20 roost sites were tested. No coronaviruses were detected in any s les from R. ferrumequinum whereas 44% and 56% of in idual and pooled (respectively) faecal s les from R. hipposideros across multiple roost sites tested positive in a sarbecovirus-specific qPCR. Full genome sequences were generated from three of the positive s les (and partial genomes from two more) using Illumina RNAseq on unenriched s les. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the obtained sequences belong to the same monophyletic clade, with % similarity, as previously reported European isolates from R. hipposideros . The sequences differed in the presence or absence of accessory genes ORF 7b, 9b and 10. All lacked the furin cleavage site of SARS-CoV-2 spike gene and are therefore unlikely to be infective for humans. These results demonstrate a lack, or at least low incidence, of SARS-CoV-2 spill over from humans to susceptible GB bats, and confirm that sarbecovirus infection is widespread in R. hipposideros . Despite frequently sharing roost sites with R. ferrumequinum , no evidence of cross-species transmission was found.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Malcolm Bennett.