Molecular characterization of
Menangle virus, a novel paramyxovirus which infects pigs, fruit bats and humans.
To the Editor: In 2010, detection of henipavirus (Hendra or Nipah virus) and rubulavirus (Tioman or Menangle virus) antibodies in fruit bats in Papua New Guinea (PNG) was reported (1).
None of the 103 samples from Lae had antibodies against Menangle virus (Figure).
Table 7-12 Less Common Zoonotic Paramyxoviruses Predominant Paramyxovirus Disease Signs in People Hendra virus Hendra virus Acute dyspnea, disease hemorrhagic First discovered disorders, and in 1994 in horses neurologic tissue in Brisbane, necrosis Australia (Hendra is a suburb of Brisbane)
Menangle virus Menangle Influenza-like First discovered in illness with a a swine operation macular rash; no in Menangle near fatalities reported Sydney in New South Wales, Australia in 1997.
The new virus, also a paramyxovirus, has been dubbed
Menangle virus. It was discovered after hundreds of sows on a large swine farm near Menangle, New South Wales began having fewer litters, fewer piglets per litter, and deformed or aborted young, reports Peter D.
Menangle virus (MenPV) was isolated in Australia during a disease outbreak in pigs, with epidemiologic evidence suggesting the involvement of human patients as a result of pig-to-human transmission (6).
For the final list of risk zoonoses, 3 of the original 30 agents (Hendra virus,
Menangle virus, and Rickettsia prowazekii) were removed because few, if any, genera were found to harbor these infections; the final tables therefore include 27 diseases (Tables 1--3).
The Old World fruit bats of the family Pteropodidae, particularly species belonging to the genus Pteropus, have been considered natural hosts for viruses emerging in Australia (Hendra virus [HeV], Australian bat lyssavirus [ABLV], and
Menangle virus), Malaysia, Singapore, and Bangladesh (Nipah virus [NiV]) (1,2).
Furthermore, 2 other paramyxo-oviruses belonging to the genus Rubulavirus have been associated with flying foxes:
Menangle virus, isolated in 1997 from pigs in Australia (13), and Tioman virus, isolated in 1999 from fruit bats in Malaysia (14).
Menangle virus was also described in Australia, in 1996, where it caused reproductive disorders in pigs and an influenzalike disease in humans.
The second virus,
Menangle virus, is considered to be spread to pigs in Australia by the same four species of Pteropus bats, producing stillbirths with deformities in 1998 in 27% of litters, as well as an influenza like illness in humans (30).
Tests performed at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory confirmed that the virus, named
Menangle virus, was unrelated to other known paramyxoviruses, including viruses known to infect pigs 51).