Molecular detection and sequence characterization of diverse rhabdoviruses in bats, China

Highlights • Three new rhabdoviruses were detected in bats, China. • JHBV and BXBV found in Rhinolophus bats could be new members of the genus Vesiculovirus. • Four strains of YJBV detected in Hipposideros larvatus formed a new lineage.
The Rhabdoviridae is among the most diverse families of RNA viruses and currently classified into 18 genera with some rhabdoviruses lethal to humans and other animals. Herein, we describe genetic characterization of three novel rhabdoviruses from bats in China. Of these, two viruses (Jinghong bat virus and Benxi bat virus) found in Rhinolophus bats showed a phylogenetic relationship with vesiculoviruses, and sequence analyses indicate that they represent two new species within the genus Vesiculovirus. The remaining Yangjiang bat virus found in Hipposideros larvatus bats were only distantly related to currently known rhabdoviruses.