Next-Generation Sequencing on Insectivorous Bat Guano: An Accurate Tool to Identify Arthropod Viruses of Potential Agricultural Concern

Viruses belonging to the Family Dicistroviridae have attracted a great deal of attention from scientists owing to their negative impact on agricultural economics as well as their recent identification as potential aetiological agents of febrile illness in human patients. On the other hand, some Dicistrovirus are also studied for their potential biopesticide properties. To date, Dicistrovirus characterized in Africa mainland remain scarce. By using HTS technology on insectivorous bat faeces (Hipposideros Caffer) sampled in a cave used by humans to collect bat guano (bat manure) as fertilizer in Zimbabwe, we characterized the full-length sequences of three Dicistrovirus belonging to the Cripavirus and Aparavirus genus: Big Sioux River Virus-Like (BSRV-Like), Acute Bee Paralysis Virus (ABPV) and Aphid Lethal Paralysis Virus (ALPV). Phylogenetic analyses of ORF-1 and ORF-2 genes showed a complex evolutionary history between BSRV and close viruses as well as for the Aparavirus genus. We provide herewith the first evidence of the presence of Dicistrovirus in Zimbabwe and highlight the need to further document the impact of such viruses on crops as well as in beekeeping activities in Zimbabwe which represent a crucial source of income for Zimbabwean people.