Bat cells from Pteropus alecto are susceptible to influenza A virus infection and reassortment. Issue 6 (27th May 2013) - Dlugolenski, Daniel
Abstract Waterfowl are primary hosts for influenza A viruses (IAVs); however, there is sporadic infection of swine and other species that pose a risk of zoonotic spread. Yellow‐shouldered bats were shown to be hosts of an IAV, thereby constituting a potential novel reservoir. We show that Pteropus alecto kidney cells (PaKi) are susceptible to infection and sustain replication of A/WSN/33 (H1N1) and A/Vietnam/1203/04 (H5N1). Importantly, we show that co‐infection of PaKi cells results in novel reassortants.