Project Synopsis
Pteropid bats (flying foxes) are species of significant zoonotic disease importance in South-East Asia and eastern Australia. Recently, four newly emerged viral diseases have been linked to pteropid bats. In 1996, both Australian bat lyssavirus and Hendra virus were isolated from pteropid bats. In 1997, antibodies to Menangle virus were found in pteropid bats in eastern Australia. Nipah virus has been isolated from pteropid bat urine in Malaysia in 2000. Despite the fact that pteropid bats are the suspected reservoir hosts for these viruses, very little is known about the immune response of these bats to viral infection. In fact, little research to date has been conducted on the pteropid bat immune system.
The aims of this project are to generate pteropid-specific immunological reagents, of which none currently exist, for the development of both serological tests and the detection of cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses. The isolation and characterisation of pteropid bat IgM and IgG, and the production of monospecific polyclonal antibodies to these immunoglobulins, will facilitate the development of serological tests.
Additionally, viral infections often stimulate CMI responses in infected animals. CMI effector molecules include a vast number of cytokines (interleukins and interferons), and their specific detection in the blood of an infected animal is often used in the diagnosis of early infection. Characterisation of a number of these cytokines and their cross reactivity with existing anti-cytokine reagents for other species, will aid in the development of CMI-specific diagnostic tools for pteropid bats. Developing diagnostic tools for flying fox serology will enhance our capability to detecting emerging infectious diseases in Australian wildlife. By understanding the immune system of these animals, and by developing species-specific diagnostic tools, researchers will be better placed to understand the behaviour of viral infections in these bats.