Rats are known as reservoirs and vectors for several zoonotic pathogens. However, information on the viruses shed by urban wild rats that could pose a zoonotic risk to human health is scare. Here, intestinal contents from 20 wild Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) collected in the city of Berlin, Germany, were subjected to metagenomic analysis of viral nucleic acids. The determined faecal viromes of rats consisted of a variety of known and unknown viruses, and were highly variable among the individuals. Members of the families Parvoviridae and Picobirnaviridae represented the most abundant species. Novel picornaviruses, bocaviruses, sapoviruses and stool-associated circular ssDNA viruses were identified, which showed only low sequence identity to known representatives of the corresponding taxa. In addition, noroviruses and rotaviruses were detected as potential zoonotic gastroenteritis viruses. However, partial-genome sequence analyses indicated that the norovirus was closely related to the recently identified rat norovirus and the rotavirus B was closely related to the rat rotavirus strain IDIR; both viruses clustered separately from respective human virus strains in phylogenetic trees. In contrast, the rotavirus A sequences showed high identity to human and animal strains. Analysis of the nearly complete genome of this virus revealed the known genotypes G3, P[3] and N2 for three of the genome segments, whereas the remaining eight genome segments represented the novel genotypes I20-R11-C11-M10-A22-T14-E18-H13. Our results indicated a high heterogeneity of enteric viruses present in urban wild rats; their ability to be transmitted to humans remains to be assessed in the future.

No abstract

No abstract

A disease affecting cultivated highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) was first reported in the Fraser valley of British Columbia in 2000. Symptoms were similar to those of the disease caused by the Blueberry scorch virus (BlScV), and the diagnosis was supported by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), using a polyclonal antibody. Two BlScV-positive plants that exhibited characteristic symptoms were collected from two separate fields. Both isolates were mechanically transmitted from their original blueberry host to Nicotiana occidentalis, a recently discovered herbaceous host for BlScV, and sequenced. These two isolates were designated BC-1 and BC-2. BC-1 and BC-2 shared, respectively, 83% and 77% genome sequence identity with BlScV strain NJ-2. Comparison of individual genes with those of NJ-2 revealed 81%-90% sequence identity for BC-1, and 74%-85% identity for BC-2. Phylogenetic analysis was performed on a portion of the coat protein (CP) gene from BC-1, BC-2, NJ-2, and five partially sequenced BlScV isolates obtained from GenBank. Results indicated that BC-1 and BC-2 are two distinct strains of BlScV, possibly suggesting two separate introductions of the virus into British Columbia. The discovery of novel strains of BlScV in British Columbia may affect management of the disease in blueberry crops, and the characterization of these strains could be used to improve diagnostic tools for monitoring. Résumé : En 2000, une maladie de l'airelle en corymbe (Vaccinium corymbosum) cultivée a été signalée pour la première fois dans la vallée du Fraser en Colombie-Britannique. Les symptômes étaient semblables à ceux de la maladie causée par le virus de la brunissure nécrotique du bleuet (BlScV), et le diagnostic a été confirmé par un test immunoenzymatique (ELISA) avec un anticorps polyclonal. Deux plantes positives pour le BlScV avec symptômes caractéristiques ont été récoltées dans deux champs distincts. Les deux isolats ont été transmis mécaniquement de leur hôte original, l'airelle, au Nicotiana occidentalis, un nouvel hôte herbacé du BlScV découvert récemment, puis séquencés. Ces deux isolats ont été nommés BC-1 et BC-2. BC-1 et BC-2 partagent respectivement 83% et 77% de leur séquence génétique avec la souche NJ-2 du BlScV. Lorsque des gènes individuels étaient comparés, la similarité avec ceux de NJ-2 allait de 81% à 90% pour BC-1 et de 74% à 85% pour BC-2. L'analyse phylogénétique a été réalisée avec une portion du gène de la protéine de la capside de BC-1, BC-2, NJ-2 et de cinq séquences partielles d'isolats du BlScV obtenues de la GenBank. Les résultats montrent que BC-1 et BC-2 sont deux souches distinctes du BlScV, ce qui laisse croire à deux introductions séparées du virus en Colombie-Britannique. La découverte de nouvelles souches du BlScV en Colombie-Britannique peut influencer la lutte contre la maladie dans les cultures d'airelles. De plus, la caractérisation de ces souches pourrait être utilisée pour améliorer les outils diagnostiques utilisés pour la surveillance du BlScV.Mots clés : virus d...

No abstract