Broad and Temperature Independent Replication Potential of Filoviruses on Cells Derived From Old and New World Bat Species

Filoviruses are strongly associated with several species of bats as their natural reservoirs. In this study, we determined the replication potential of all filovirus species: Marburg marburgvirus, Ta < Forest ebolavirus, Reston ebolavirus, Sudan ebolavirus, Zaire ebolavirus, and Bundibugyo ebolavirus. Filovirus replication was supported by all cell lines derived from 6 Old and New World bat species: the hammer-headed fruit bat, Buettikofer's epauletted fruit bat, the Egyptian fruit bat, the Jamaican fruit bat, the Mexican free-tailed bat and the big brown bat. In addition, we showed that Marburg virus Angola and Ebola virus Makona-WPGC07 efficiently replicated at 37A degrees C, 37A degrees-41A degrees C, or 41A degrees C, contrary to the hypothesis that temporal elevation in temperature due to flight affects filovirus replication in bats.