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Volume 31, Number 8—August 2025

Research Letter

Nipah Virus Antibodies in Bats, the Philippines, 2013–2022

Yoshihiro Kaku, Shumpei WatanabeComments to Author , Joseph S. Masangkay, Phillip Alviola, Satoshi Taniguchi, Edison Cosico, Yumi Une, Frances C. Recuenco, Satoko Sugimoto, Kentaro Kato, Shigeru Kyuwa, David Emmanuel M. General, Allen John F. Manalad, Sheryl A. Yap, Hironori Bando, Nanako Isobe, Yui Sakata, Shione Takeguchi, Hikaru Fujii, Masayuki Shimojima, Shigeru Morikawa, Ken Maeda, and Tsutomu Omatsu
Author affiliation: National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan Institute for Health Security, Tokyo, Japan (Y. Kaku, S. Sugimoto, M. Shimojima, S. Morikawa, K. Maeda); Okayama University of Science, Imabari, Japan (S. Watanabe, Y. Une, N. Isobe, Y. Sakata, S. Takeguchi, H. Fujii, S. Morikawa); College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Los Baños, the Philippines (J.S. Masangkay, A.J.F. Manalad); Museum of Natural History, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Los Baños (P. Alviola, E. Cosico, D.E.M. General, S.A. Yap); Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo (S. Taniguchi); College of Science, De La Salle University, Manila, the Philippines (F.C. Recuenco); Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo (S. Kyuwa); Tohoku University, Osaki, Japan (K. Kato, H. Bando); Center for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo (T. Omatsu)

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Table

Neutralizing antibody titers (10) in serum samples from 13 bat species for Nipah virus antibodies in bats, the Philippines, 2013–2022*

Bat species No. positive/no. tested using pVSV-SNT
No. positive/no. tested using PaV RT-PCR
Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 4 Site 5 Site 6 Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 4 Site 5 Site 6
Cynopterus luzoniensis 0/41 0/25 0/22 NA NA NA 0/28 ND 0/17† NA NA NA
Eonycteris spelaea 0/3 NA 0/2 NA 0/13 NA 0/3 NA 0/2† NA 0/13 NA
Haplonycteris fischeri 0/1 NA NA NA NA NA ND NA NA NA NA NA
Macroglossus minimus 0/1 NA 0/9 0/1 NA NA ND NA 0/6† 0/1 NA NA
Ptenochirus jagori 0/63 0/22 0/17 NA NA NA 0/63 ND 0/12† NA NA NA
Rousettus amplexicaudatus 0/5 NA 0/3 NA 0/44 0/19 0/5 NA 0/1† NA 0/46 0/20
Hipposideros coronatus NA NA ND NA NA NA NA NA 0/1† NA NA NA
Hipposideros diadema NA NA 4/23 NA NA NA NA NA 0/24† NA NA NA
Hipposideros obscurus NA NA ND NA NA NA NA NA 0/9† NA NA NA
Hipposideros pygmaeus NA NA 0/1 NA NA NA NA NA ND NA NA NA
Rhinolophus arcuatus NA NA 0/1 NA NA NA NA NA 0/1† NA NA NA
Miniopterus eschscholtzii NA NA 0/3 NA NA NA NA NA ND NA NA NA
Scotophilus kuhlii NA 0/7 NA NA NA NA NA ND NA NA NA NA

*Site 1, Laguna 2022; site 2, Naga 2019; site 3, Siargao 2019; site 4, Baguio district 2013 (in Davao City); site 5, Samal and Talicud 2013; site 6, Lavigan 2013 (in Governor Generoso Municipality). NA, not applicable; ND, not done; PaV, paramyxovirus; pVSV-SNT, serum neutralizing test using vesicular stomatitis virus pseudovirus expressing the Nipah virus surface proteins (9); RT-PCR, reverse transcription PCR. †RT-PCRs were performed by using RNAs extracted from spleen and not from serum samples.

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Page created: June 12, 2025
Page updated: July 16, 2025
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