Discovery of swine as a host for the Reston ebolavirus

Since the discovery of filoviruses, comprised of Marburg and Ebola species, seemingly random, sporadic fatal outbreaks of disease in humans and non-human primates have evoked interest in delineation of host tropisms and potential reservoirs. We now describe identification of Reston ebolavirus (REBOV) by microarray, in domestic swine from the Philippines experiencing unusually severe outbreaks of porcine reproductive and respiratory disease syndrome. While REBOV is the only member of Filoviridae that has not been associated with disease in humans, its emergence in the human food chain heightens concerns for public health, swine agriculture and international trade. REBOV isolates were found to be significantly more divergent from each other than from the original virus isolate from 1989, indicating polyphyletic origins in swine. This further suggests that REBOV has been circulating since, and possibly before, the initial discovery of REBOV in monkeys. These results identify swine as the first non-primate susceptible host for REBOV. Overall design: A lymph node cultured in Vero cells and a tonsil cultured in SK6 cells revealed cytopathic effects indicating the presence of a virus. Different scanner conditions used for the 2 Samples.