First Evidence of Mammarenavirus in the Giant Fruit Bat ( Artibeus lituratus ) in Mexico

Background: In Mexico, two Mammarenavirus genotypes have been identified: Real de Catorce virus and Ocozocoautla de Espinosa virus (OCEV), which are found in rodents ( Neotoma leucodon and Peromyscus mexicanus ). Mammarenaviruses from clade B cause mild to severe infectious diseases in humans, particularly in South America. A 1967 outbreak in Chiapas, Mexico, was potentially linked to the OCEV. Materials and Methods: Between 2017 and 2020, we collected bats across southern/southeastern Mexico to identify Mammarenavirus reservoirs. We analyzed 81 liver samples from 14 bat species using nested PCR. For quality control, we synthesized and OCEV S-region fragment into an ampicillin-resistant pUC57 plasmid, cloned in One Shot Stbl3 chemically competent E. coli . Results: Here, we report the first detection of a Mammarenavirus (OCEV) in an Artibeus lituratus bat from Sabancuy, Campeche, southeastern Mexico. This finding represents the third Mammarenavirus recorded in this bat species in the Americas, suggesting it may harbor multiple Mammarenavirus species (OCEV and Mammarenavirus tacaribeense ). Conclusions: While this represents the first documentation of OCEV in a bat, it remains unknown whether environmental stressors could facilitate potential transmission to humans, particularly given the close association between Artibeus bats and human populations.