No abstract

Bufaviruses (BuVs) are small, non-enveloped, single-stranded DNA viruses classified in the family Parvoviridae, within the genus Protoparvovirus. The linear DNA genome is about 4.5-4.8 kb in length with complex hairpin structures at the 5' and 3' ends, and it contains 2 major open reading frames (ORFs) coding for the non-structural (NS) 1 and viral proteins VP1 and VP2 (Väisänen, Fu, Hedman, & Söderlund-Venermo, 2017). BuVs were first identified in 2012 in Burkina Faso in faecal samples from a child with acute gastroenteritis (Phan et al., 2012).Several studies have reported BuVs in human patients with diar-

Feline chaphamaparvovirus (FeChPV) is a novel parvovirus, first discovered in a multi‐facility feline shelter in Canada in 2019, during an outbreak of acute gastro‐enteritis (AGE) in cats, and detected at high prevalence (47.0%) in faecal samples. Whether this finding was anecdotal or similar viruses are common components of feline virome is still unclear. Also, the potential impact of this virus on feline health is uncertain. Herewith, a case–control study was performed to investigate whether this novel parvovirus may play a role as enteric pathogen, screening samples collected from cats with and without AGE signs. Furthermore, we extended the research by testing archival paired oropharyngeal and ocular samples collected from cats with or without upper respiratory tract disease (URTD). FeChPV DNA was detected at high prevalence rate (36.8%, 14/38) in clinical cases, representing the most frequently identified enteric virus, followed by feline panleukopenia parvovirus (23.7%, 9/38), feline coronavirus (5.3%, 2/38), feline kobuvirus (5.3%, 2/38) and noroviruses (5.3%, 2/38). The different prevalence rates of FeChPV between the case and control group were statistically significant, suggesting a possible association of the virus with acute gastro‐enteric disease. The virus was also detected at low rate in the respiratory samples of cats with (3.3%, 6/183) or without URTD (4.3%, 6/140), although there was no significant association between FeChPV and URTD. The complete VP encoding gene was determined for five viruses and the nearly full‐length genome was reconstructed for three viruses, namely 313R/2019/ITA, 284R/2019/ITA and 49E/2019/ITA. In the NS1‐based tree, the Italian strains clustered tightly with the two FeChPV prototypes detected in Canada, within a monophyletic cluster related to but clearly distinct from canine chaphamaparvovirus, currently classified in the species Carnivore chaphamaparvovirus 1 (CaChPV‐1).

By screening a collection of fecal samples from young cats housed in three different shelters in South Italy, noroviruses (NoVs) were found in 3/48 (6.2%) specimens of animals with enteritis signs while they were not detected in samples collected from healthy cats (0/57). Upon sequence analysis of the short RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) region, the three strains displayed the highest nucleotide (nt) and amino acid (aa) identities to the prototype GIV.2 strain lion/Pistoia/387/06/ITA (91.0-93.0% nt and 97.0-98.0% aa). The sequence of ~3.4-kb portion at the 3' end of the genome of a NoV strain, TE/77-13/ITA, was determined. In the full-length ORF2, encoding the VP1 capsid protein, the virus was genetically closest to the canine GVI.2 NoV strains C33/Viseu/2007/PRT and FD53/2007/ITA (81.0-84.0% nt and 93.0-94.0% aa identities), suggesting a recombination nature, with the cross-over site being mapped to the ORF1-ORF2 junction. Based on the full-length VP1 amino acid sequence, we classified the novel feline NoV, together with the canine strains Viseu and FD53, as a genotype 2, within the genogroup GVI. These findings indicate that, as observed for GIV NoV, GVI strains may infect both the canine and feline host. Unrestricted circulation of NoV strains in small carnivores may provide the basis for quick genetic diversification of these viruses by recombination. Interspecies circulation of NoVs in pets must also be considered when facing outbreaks of enteric diseases in these animals.

Summary Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the leading cause of human enterically transmitted viral hepatitis occurring around the world both as outbreaks and as sporadic cases. The accumulating literature indicates that domestic pigs and wild boars are the main reservoirs of genotype 3 and genotype 4 for human infections in industrialized countries. However, the recent identification of HEV from various animal species poses additional potential concerns for HEV zoonotic infection. In this study, the role of sheep as potential host of hepatitis E virus (HEV) was investigated. By screening 192 sheep from seven farms located in Abruzzo Region (Southern Italy), HEV‐specific antibodies were detected in the sera of 41 animals (21.3%) whilst the RNA of HEV, genotype 3, was detected in 20 faecal (10.4%) and three serum samples (1.6%). Upon sequence analyses of a partial ORF2 gene region of eight HEV positive samples, the sheep sequences all grouped together within HEV genotype 3 subtype c, being most closely related to HEV strains identified in goat and wild boar from Abruzzo. This is the first study that demonstrates, serologically and molecularly, the presence of HEV in sheep population in a European country.