Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a highly virulent tick-borne pathogen that causes hemorrhagic fever in humans. The geographic range of human CCHF cases largely reflects the presence of ticks. However, highly similar CCHFV lineages occur in geographically distant regions. Tick-infested migratory birds have been suggested, but not confirmed, to contribute to the dispersal. Bats have recently been shown to carry nairoviruses distinct from CCHFV. In order to assess the presence of CCHFV in a wide range of bat species over a wide geographic range, we analyzed 1,135 sera from 16 different bat species collected in Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Germany, and Panama. Using a CCHFV glycoprotein-based indirect immunofluorescence test (IIFT), we identified reactive antibodies in 10.0% (114/1,135) of tested bats, pertaining to 12/16 tested species. Depending on the species, 3.6%-42.9% of cave-dwelling bats and 0.6%-7.1% of foliage-living bats were seropositive (two-tailed t-test, p = 0.0447 cave versus foliage). 11/30 IIFT-reactive sera from 10 different African bat species had neutralizing activity in a virus-like particle assay. Neutralization of full CCHFV was confirmed in 5 of 7 sera. Widespread infection of cave-dwelling bats may indicate a role for bats in the life cycle and geographic dispersal of CCHFV.

Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine Hamburg Germany

Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville Franceville Gabon

EUROIMMUN AG Lübeck Germany

German Centre for Infection Research Partner Site Bonn Cologne Bonn Germany

Institut de Recherche pour le Développement Montpellier France

Institute for Virology FB10 Veterinary Medicine Justus Liebig University Giessen Germany

Institute of Vertebrate Biology Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Brno Czech Republic

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Kumasi Ghana

Noctalis Bad Segeberg Germany

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Balboa Panama

University of Bonn Medical Centre Bonn Germany

University of Marburg Institute for Virology Marburg Germany

University of Ulm Ulm Germany

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