Ecologists are increasingly interested in the deterministic factors that influence microbial communities. Yet in comparison to other microbes, our understanding of viral community ecology is limited. Here we investigated the factors influencing the community ecology of picobirnaviruses among wild rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in Bangladesh. Using co-occurrence networks and species distribution models, we found that macaques’ social organisation and anthropogenic factors (human and livestock densities) had the greatest impact on picobirnavirus communities. Virus phylogenetic relationships, host demographics (sex, age), and host physiological stress (cortisol levels) had less of an impact. We also found a few significant biotic virus-virus associations that impacted community composition, more so at lower host social organisational levels (individual macaques within groups) compared to higher levels (macaque groups within sites). These findings advance our understanding of the deterministic factors shaping viral communities, and contribute to changing perceptions of viruses as embedded components of human-natural ecosystems.

The exact origin of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and source of introduction into humans has not been established yet, though it might be originated from animals. Therefore, we conducted a literature review to understand the putative reservoirs, transmission dynamics, and susceptibility patterns of SARS-CoV-2 in animals. Rhinolophu s bats are presumed to be natural progenitors of SARS-CoV-2 related viruses. Initially pangolin was thought to be the source of spillover to human, but they might get infected from human or other animal species. So, the virus spillover pathways to humans remain unknown. Human-to-animal transmission has been testified in pet, farmed, zoo and free-ranging wild animals. Infected animals can transmit the virus to other animals in natural settings like, mink-to-mink, and mink-to-cat transmission. Animal-to-human transmission is not a persistent pathway, while mink-to-human transmission continues to be illuminated. Multiple companion and captive wild animals were infected by emerging alpha variant of concern (B.1.1.7 lineage) whereas Asiatic lions were infected by delta variant, (B.1.617.2). To date, multiple animal species- cat, ferrets, non-human primates, hamsters, and bats, showed high susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 in experimental condition, while swine, poultry, cattle showed no susceptibility. The founding of SARS-CoV-2 in wild animal reservoirs can confronts the control of the virus in humans and might carry a risk to the welfare and conservation of wildlife as well. We suggest vaccinating pet, and captive animals to stop spillover and spillback events. We recommend sustainable one health surveillance at animal-human-environmental interface to detect and prevent future epidemics and pandemics by Disease X.

In this report we reported the sero-prevalence of West Nile virus among the resident and migratory wild birds from different locations of Bangladesh. 48 birds (48/888, 5.4%, CI 0.04-0.07) were found sero-positive for WNV antibody.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a vector-borne zoonotic disease maintained in a sylvatic cycle involving mosquito vectors and birds. To detect West Nile virus (WNV) and other flavivirus infections in wild resident and migratory birds, we tested 184 samples from 19 identified species within nine families collected during 2012-2016 from four districts in Bangladesh. We tested serum samples for the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody to WNV using competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (c-ELISA), whereas tracheal and cloacal swabs subjected to consensus PCR for the detection of the flavivirus RNA. Overall, 11.9% (n=22; 95% CI: 0.07-0.16) samples were seropositive, including 15.9% migratory wild birds and 10.7% resident wild birds. Tufted duck showed 28.5% sero-positivity, whereas crows showed 12.5% sero-positivity. None of the swab samples was positive for flavivirus RNA infection. These study findings suggest that wild birds of Bangladesh may carry WNV. We recommend continued surveillance for early detection and to better understand the epidemiology of WNV and other flavivirus circulation in both birds and mosquitoes in Bangladesh.