National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.
Research Units of Discovery of Unknown Bacteria and Function, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
NHC Key Laboratory of System Biology of Pathogens and Christophe Mérieux Laboratory, National Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Shiqu County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ganzi, Sichuan, China.
Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China. [email protected].
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China. [email protected].
National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China. [email protected].
Research Center for Reverse Microbial Etiology, Workstation of Academician, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China. [email protected].
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.
Structured evidence records
Evidence records
4 total
Cross Species Transmission1 records
Cross Species TransmissionExtraction confidence 0.85
Key finding
Greylag goose and Himalayan vulture harbored a high proportion of cross-species viruses and were central in the transmission network among wildlife on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Virus
Not specified
Host
Not specified
Location
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China
Supporting text
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.
Method
transmission network analysis
Study design
metatranscriptomic surveillance
Transmission direction
animal-to-animal
Event type
transmission network central species
Geographic raw
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Country inferred
CHN
Genomic Evolution1 records
Genomic EvolutionExtraction confidence 0.85
Key finding
Rotavirus A strains carried by plateau vole represent a distinct early evolutionary lineage within the species.
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.
Method
phylogenetic analysis
Study design
genomic surveillance
Transmission direction
animal reservoir only
Event type
evolutionary lineage of wildlife rotavirus A
Geographic raw
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Country inferred
CHN
Mechanism types
evolutionary lineage divergence
Spillover Event1 records
Spillover EventExtraction confidence 0.90
Key finding
Several viruses, including rotavirus A and parainfluenza virus 5 from Qinghai-Tibet wildlife, were identified as posing a high risk of zoonotic transmission.
Among them, several viruses, including rotavirus A (RVA) and parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV-5), pose a high risk of zoonotic transmission.
Method
genomic identification
Study design
metatranscriptomic surveillance
Transmission direction
animal-to-human
Event type
potential zoonotic viruses
Geographic raw
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Country inferred
CHN
Zoonotic Surveillance1 records
Zoonotic SurveillanceExtraction confidence 0.90
Key finding
A meta-transcriptomic survey of 22 wild animal species on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau revealed rich virome diversity and identified 36 viral genera with potential pathogenicity to humans or animals.
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... In total, we identified 36 viral genera with pathogenic potential to humans or animals.
