<p>Wildlife serves as a natural reservoir for emerging viruses. Although virome studies of bats and rodents have advanced our understanding of viral diversity, the virome characteristics and zoonotic risks of wildlife inhabiting the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau-a global biodiversity hotspot-remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted a virome survey of 22 wild animal species from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau using meta-transcriptomic sequencing. We characterized the diversity and distribution of wildlife-associated viruses and found that birds tended to harbor higher viral diversity and abundance than mammals. In addition, greylag goose (<i>Anser anser</i>) and Himalayan vulture (<i>Gyps himalayensis</i>) harbored a high proportion of cross-species viruses and occupied central positions in the transmission network. In total, we identified 36 viral genera with pathogenic potential to humans or animals. Among them, several viruses, including rotavirus A (RVA) and parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV-5), pose a high risk of zoonotic transmission. Notably, the plateau vole (<i>Neodon fuscus</i>) carried the highest number of high-risk viruses, and the RVA strains it harbors represent a distinct early evolutionary lineage. These findings highlight the public health relevance of wildlife on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and emphasize the need for continued surveillance of high-risk hosts and viruses.</p>

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Virome diversity, evolution, transmission networks, and zoonotic potential of wildlife on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau

  • Hao Zhou,
  • Ji Pu,
  • Jinlv Liu,
  • Yaqi Wang,
  • Qiang Hou,
  • Jiajia Ma,
  • Yuqing Liu,
  • Wei Wang,
  • Shan Lu,
  • Jianfeng Ba,
  • Teng Qi,
  • Jing Yang,
  • Xuelian Luo,
  • Jianguo Xu

摘要

Wildlife serves as a natural reservoir for emerging viruses. Although virome studies of bats and rodents have advanced our understanding of viral diversity, the virome characteristics and zoonotic risks of wildlife inhabiting the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau-a global biodiversity hotspot-remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted a virome survey of 22 wild animal species from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau using meta-transcriptomic sequencing. We characterized the diversity and distribution of wildlife-associated viruses and found that birds tended to harbor higher viral diversity and abundance than mammals. In addition, greylag goose (Anser anser) and Himalayan vulture (Gyps himalayensis) harbored a high proportion of cross-species viruses and occupied central positions in the transmission network. In total, we identified 36 viral genera with pathogenic potential to humans or animals. Among them, several viruses, including rotavirus A (RVA) and parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV-5), pose a high risk of zoonotic transmission. Notably, the plateau vole (Neodon fuscus) carried the highest number of high-risk viruses, and the RVA strains it harbors represent a distinct early evolutionary lineage. These findings highlight the public health relevance of wildlife on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and emphasize the need for continued surveillance of high-risk hosts and viruses.