Bats have been shown to be the reservoir host for many viruses, some with significant zoonotic potential. In recent years, an increasing number of viruses have been isolated from bats, including paramyxoviruses, adenoviruses and coronaviruses. Viruses such as the highly pathogenic Hendra virus are shed in the urine of Australian pteropid bats, which can lead to infection and fatal disease in horses and humans. Surveillance of Australian bats plays an important role in preparing for the potential spill over of viruses into other mammalian populations. In particular, isolation of novel viruses allows characterisation and understanding of their potential to cause disease. Furthermore, these novel viruses can become useful tools to identify pathogenic determinants, as is demonstrated by the previously isolated Cedar virus. Despite its high sequence similarity with Hendra virus, it does not cause disease in animal models. Comparison of these two viruses provides an insight into the pathogenesis of Hendra virus.
During a Hendra virus outbreak in 2011, pteropid bat urine samples were collected in Alstonville in northern New South Wales. From these samples, a novel paramyxovirus has been isolated. Sequencing results show that it is a member of the genus Rubulavirus and is related to Porcine Rubulavirus, which was isolated as the causative agent of disease in pigs in Mexico. Adenoviruses have also been isolated from the Alstonville samples. The isolation of these viruses provides a greater understanding of the viral diversity present in Australian pteropid bats and creates the opportunity for further characterisation of these novel viruses.