Group A rotaviruses (RVAs) are an important cause of diarrhoeal illness in humans, as well as in mammalian and avian animal species. Previous sequence analyses indicated that avian RVAs are related only distantly to mammalian RVAs. Here, the complete genomes of RVA strain 03V0002E10 from turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) and RVA strain 10V0112H5 from pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) were analysed using a combination of 454 deep sequencing and Sanger sequencing technologies. An adenine-rich insertion similar to that found in the chicken RVA strain 02V0002G3, but considerably shorter, was found in the 39 NCR of the NSP1 gene of the pheasant strain. Most genome segments of both strains were related closely to those of avian RVAs. The novel genotype N10 was assigned to the NSP2 gene of the pheasant RVA, which is related most closely to genotype N6 found in avian RVAs. However, this virus contains a VP4 gene of the novel genotype P [37], which is related most closely to RVAs from pigs, dogs and humans. This strain either may represent an avian/mammalian rotavirus reassortant, or it carries an unusual avian rotavirus VP4 gene, thereby broadening the potential genetic and antigenic variability among RVAs. INTRODUCTIONGroup A rotaviruses (RVAs) are aetiological agents of acute gastroenteritis in humans and animals. They cause severe diarrhoea in infants and children, to which are attributed approximately 453 000 childhood deaths annually (Tate et al., 2012). Recently, two attenuated live vaccines have been introduced and are used successfully for prevention of severe rotavirus-induced disease (Yen et al., 2011).Rotaviruses are classified as a genus within the family Reoviridae (Attoui et al., 2012). They are non-enveloped particles containing a genome of 11 segments of dsRNA with monocistronic coding capacity except for segment 11, which may encode two proteins. Based on antigenic and genome sequence properties, five rotavirus groups (A-E) and two tentative groups (F, G) can be distinguished, which also represent the taxonomically defined rotavirus species and tentative species, respectively (Attoui et al., 2012). In addition, the rotavirus NADRV has been described in adults in Asia (Yang et al., 2004). Recently, a classification system into the eight rotavirus species A-H (with NADRV designated rotavirus H) has been proposed, based on genetic data of genome segment 6 (Matthijnssens et al., 2012).Among the rotavirus groups, RVAs have the highest clinical importance among humans and most mammalian species. The antigenic structures of RVAs eliciting neutralizing antibodies are the outer capsid proteins VP7 and VP4, which define the G-and P-types, respectively. Originally, Gand P-serotypes were defined based on antibody reactivity (Hoshino & Kapikian, 2000). Later on, sequence data of the VP7-and VP4-encoding genome segments were used for definition of G-and P-genotypes, leading to the present list of at least 27 different G-types and 35 different P-types in human and animal RVAs (Matthijnssens et al., 2011). Recently, a genotypi...

Hepatitis E is a rare human disease in developed countries. It is caused by hepatitis E virus (HEV), which is probably transmitted zoonotically to humans from domestic pigs and wild boars. Multiple reports on the detection of HEV-specific antibodies in rats have suggested the presence of an HEV-related agent; however, infectious virus or a viral genome has not been demonstrated so far. Here, a nested broad-spectrum RT-PCR protocol was developed capable of detecting different HEV types including those derived from wild boar and chicken. Screening of 30 faecal samples from wild Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) from Hamburg (Germany) resulted in the detection of two sequences with similarities to human, mammalian and avian HEV. Virus particles with a morphology reminiscent of HEV were demonstrated by immunoelectron microscopy in one of these samples and the virus was tentatively designated rat HEV. Genome fragments with sizes of 4019 and 1545 nt were amplified from two samples. Sequence comparison with human and avian strains revealed only 59.9 and 49.9 % sequence identity, respectively. Similarly, the deduced amino acid sequence for the complete capsid protein had 56.2 and 42.9 % identity with human and avian strains, respectively. Inoculation of the samples onto three different permanent rat liver cell lines did not result in detectable virus replication as assayed by RT-PCR with cells of the fifth virus passage. Further investigations are necessary to clarify the zoonotic potential of rat HEV and to assess its suitability to serve in a laboratory rat animal model for human hepatitis E. INTRODUCTIONHepatitis E, caused by hepatitis E virus (HEV), is a worldwide human disease that is endemic in many developing countries. In industrialized countries, sporadic cases are increasingly reported, which can be traced either to imported infections from endemic regions or to autochthonous HEV infections (Clemente-Casares et al., 2003;Dalton et al., 2008; Gyarmati et al., 2007;Purcell & Emerson, 2008). Hepatitis E is characterized by a selflimiting jaundice of varying severity, which is hard to distinguish from a hepatitis of other viral origin, and is often accompanied by non-specific symptoms such as fever, headache and pain in the upper abdomen. Although the case fatality rate of hepatitis E is low in the general population (0.5-3 %), rates of up to 20 % have been observed for pregnant women (Shrestha et al., 2007;Smith, 2001;Wichmann et al., 2008).HEV is classified as the only member of the genus Hepevirus. This genus is subdivided into four distinct genotypes and the avian HEV strains (Bilic et al., 2009), which are not included in any of the other genotypes. All mammalian HEV isolates described to date comprise the same serotype (Lu et al., 2006;Takahashi et al., 2005). The HEV virion appears as a non-enveloped icosahedral sphere of approximately 27-34 nm in diameter. The crystal structure of HEV-like particles has recently been solved (Yamashita et al., 2009). The particles are composed of a single capsid protein, whic...

Human hepatitis E virus infections may be caused by zoonotic transmission of virus genotypes 3 and 4. To determine whether rodents are a reservoir, we analyzed the complete nucleotide sequence of a hepatitis E–like virus from 2 Norway rats in Germany. The sequence suggests a separate genotype for this hepatotropic virus.

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The intestinal tract and intestinal contents were collected from 34 stunted, 5-to-14-day-old broiler chicks from eight flocks with runting and stunting syndrome (RSS) in Northern Germany to investigate intestinal lesions and the presence of enteric pathogens with a special focus on rotaviruses (RVs). Seven chicks from a healthy flock were used as controls. Severe villous atrophy was seen in chicks from six flocks with RSS but not in the control flock. Lesions were often "regionally" distributed in the middle-to-distal small intestine. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis (PAGE), reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and seminested RT-PCR were used for detection and characterization of RVs. The PAGE allows discrimination of different RV groups, and the RT-PCR was used to verify the presence of group (gp) A RVs. RVs were detected (by all methods) in 32 of 34 chicks from the flocks with RSS. By TEM (negative staining), RV particles were observed in intestinal contents of 28 chicks from the flocks with RSS. PAGE analysis showed four RV groups: gpA, gpD, gpF, and gpG. Group A RVs were detected in four chicks from two flocks with RSS, without intestinal lesions. GpD RVs were detected in 12 chicks of five flocks with RSS, 10 of them with severe villous atrophy. GpF RVs were confirmed in four chicks from three flocks with RSS and in two birds in the control flock. GpG RVs were verified in two chicks from two flocks with RSS, one with, and one without, intestinal lesions. At present, PCR methods are only available for detection of gpA RVs. Using RT-PCR, gpA RVs were identified in samples from 22 chicks including samples of two chicks from the control flock. Statistical analysis revealed a positive correlation between presence of gpD RV and severe villous atrophy in flocks with RSS. The results suggest that gpD RV plays a major role in the pathogenesis of RSS.