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Pteropine orthoreovirus (PRV) causes respiratory tract illness (RTI) in humans. PRVs were isolated from throat swabs collected from 9 of 91 wild bats captured on the Mindanao Islands, The Philippines, in 2013. The nucleic acid sequence of the whole genome of each of these isolates was determined. Phylogenetic analysis based on predicted amino acid sequences indicated that the isolated PRVs were novel strains in which re-assortment events had occurred in the viral genome. Serum specimens collected from 76 of 84 bats were positive for PRV-neutralizing antibodies suggesting a high prevalence of PRV in wild bats in the Philippines. The bat-borne PRVs isolated in the Philippines were characterized in comparison to an Indonesian PRV isolate, Miyazaki-Bali/2007 strain, recovered from a human patient, revealing that the Philippine bat-borne PRVs had similar characteristics in terms of antigenicity to those of the Miyazaki-Bali/2007 strain, but with a slight difference (e.g., growth capacity in vitro). The impact of the Philippine bat-borne PRVs should be studied in human RTI cases in the Philippines.

The recent discovery of genetically distinct hantaviruses in multiple species of shrews and moles (order Eulipotyphla, families Soricidae and Talpidae) prompted a further exploration of their host diversification and geographic distribution by analyzing lung tissues from 376 fruit bats representing six genera (order Chiroptera, suborder Yinpterochiroptera, family Pteropodidae), collected in the Republic of the Philippines during 2008 to 2013. Hantavirus RNA was detected by RT-PCR in one of 15 Geoffroy's rousettes (Rousettus amplexicaudatus), captured in Quezon Memorial National Park on Luzon Island in 2009. Phylogenetic analyses of the S, M and L segments, using maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods, showed that the newfound hantavirus, designated Quezon virus (QZNV), shared a common ancestry with hantaviruses hosted by insectivorous bats, in keeping with their evolutionary relationships and suggests that ancestral bats may have served as the early or original mammalian hosts of primordial hantaviruses. As the first hantavirus detected in a megabat or flying fox species, QZNV extends our knowledge about the reservoir host range., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bats are the second diversity species of mammals and widely distributed in the world. They are thought to be reservoir and vectors of zoonotic pathogens. However, there is scarce report of the evidence of pathogenic bacteria kept in bats. The precise knowledge of the pathogenic bacteria in bat microbiota is important for zoonosis control. Thus, metagenomic analysis targeting the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA of the rectal microbiota in Rousettus amplexicaudatus was performed using high throughput sequencing. The results revealed that 103 genera of bacteria including Camplyobacter were detected. Campylobacter was second predominant genus, and Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter jejuni were identified in microbiome of R. amplexicaudatus. Campylobacteriosis is one of the serious bacterial diarrhea in human, and the most often implicated species as the causative agent of campylobacteriosis is C. jejuni. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of C. jejuni in 91 wild bats with PCR. As a result of PCR assay targeted on 16S-23S intergenic spacer, partial genome of C. jejuni was detected only in five R. amplexicaudatus. This is the first report that C. jejuni was detected in bat rectal swab samples. C. jejuni is the most common cause of campylobacteriosis in humans, transmitted through water and contact with livestock animals. This result indicated that R. amplexicaudatus may be a carrier of C. jejuni.

The genus Cryptosporidium, which is an obligate intracellular parasite, infects various vertebrates and causes a diarrheal disease known as cryptosporidiosis. Bats are naturally infected with zoonotic pathogens; thus, they are potential reservoirs of parasites. We investigated the species and genotype distribution as well as prevalence of Cryptosporidium and Eimeria in Philippine bats. We captured and examined 45 bats; four were positive for Cryptosporidium spp. and seven were positive for Eimeria spp. We detected Cryptosporidium bat genotype II from Ptenochirus jagori. Three other Cryptosporidium sequences, detected from Rhinolophus inops, Cynopterus brachyotis, and Eonycteris spelaea, could not be classified as any known species or genotype; we therefore propose the novel genotype Cryptosporidium bat genotypes V, VI, and VII. Bat genotype V is associated with human cryptosporidiosis clade, and therefore, this genotype may be transmissible to humans. Among the Eimeria sequences, BE3 detected from Scotophilus kuhlii was classified with known bat and rodent clades; however, other sequences detected from C. brachyotis, E. spelaea, Rousettus amplexicaudatus, and R. inops could not be classified with known Eimeria species. These isolates might represent a new genotype. Our findings demonstrate that the bats of the Philippines represent a reservoir of multiple Cryptosporidium and Eimeria spp.

Bats are natural hosts of many zoonotic viruses. Monitoring bat viruses is important to detect novel bat-borne infectious diseases. In this study, next generation sequencing techniques and conventional PCR were used to analyze intestine, lung, and blood clot samples collected from wild bats captured at three locations in Davao region, in the Philippines in 2012. Different viral genes belonging to the Retroviridae and Herpesviridae families were identified using next generation sequencing. The existence of herpesvirus in the samples was confirmed by PCR using herpesvirus consensus primers. The nucleotide sequences of the resulting PCR amplicons were 166-bp. Further phylogenetic analysis identified that the virus from which this nucleotide sequence was obtained belonged to the Gammaherpesvirinae subfamily. PCR using primers specific to the nucleotide sequence obtained revealed that the infection rate among the captured bats was 30 %. In this study, we present the partial genome of a novel gammaherpesvirus detected from wild bats. Our observations also indicate that this herpesvirus may be widely distributed in bat populations in Davao region.

Although herbal remedies are marketed as natural products, they can be associated with severe adverse effects. We report a case of multi-organ toxicity including acute renal failure due to rhabdomyolysis, acute hepatitis-like hepatotoxicity, and cardiotoxicity accompanied by angio-edema in a Turkish male patient after ingestion of mixed Chinese herbs. Hypersensitivity reactions may be a possible mechanism of pathogenesis in multi-organ toxicity associated with phytotherapy.

Objective: To evaluate the degree of satisfaction of primary health care workers with a model of specialty care based on consultancy., Methods: A questionnaire was delivered to the nurses and physicians of a Primary Care centre, in order to assess their satisfaction with the different activities in the specialty of endocrinology (1-5 points)., Results: The consultancy activity itself was given 4.41 +/- 0.89 points by the nurses (n = 39) and 3.60 +/- 0.97 by physicians (n = 32) (p < 0.05), clinical sessions, 4.21 +/- 0.74 and 3.82 +/- 1.02, and diagnostic and therapeutic protocols, 4.12 +/- 0.71 points (physicians) (p < 0.05 vs consultancy). Global scores was 4.33 +/- 0.70 and 3.76 +/- 0.89 points, respectively. 74% and 80% of the nurses and 58% and 69% of the physicians considered the present model appropriate for other specialties and primary care center, respectively., Conclusions: The health care workers at the primary care center assesse show a high degree of satisfaction with this model of specialised care based on consultancy.