Detection of avian rotaviruses of groups A, D, F and G in diseased chickens and turkeys from Europe and Bangladesh

Abstract

Avian rotaviruses (AvRVs) represent a diverse group of intestinal viruses, which are suspected as the cause of several diseases in poultry with symptoms of diarrhoea, growth retardation or runting and stunting syndrome (RSS). To assess the distribution of AvRVs in chickens and turkeys, we have developed specific PCR protocols. These protocols were applied in two field studies investigating faecal samples or intestinal contents of diseased birds derived from several European countries and Bangladesh. In the first study, samples of 166 chickens and 33 turkeys collected between 2005 and 2008 were tested by PAGE and conventional RT-PCR and AvRVs were detected in 46.2%. In detail, 16.1% and 39.2% were positive for AvRVs of groups A or D, respectively. 11.1% of the samples contained both of them and only four samples (2.0%) contained rotaviruses showing a PAGE pattern typical for groups F and G. In the second study, samples from 375 chickens and 18 turkeys collected between 2009 and 2010 were analyzed using a more sensitive group A-specific and a new group D-specific real-time RT-PCR. In this survey, 85.0% were AvRV-positive, 58.8% for group A AvRVs, 65.9% for group D AvRVs and 38.9% for both of them. Although geographical differences exist, the results generally indicate a very high prevalence of group A and D rotaviruses in chicken and turkey flocks with cases of diarrhoea, growth retardation or RSS. The newly developed diagnostic tools will help to investigate the epidemiology and clinical significance of AvRV infections in poultry.

Prevalence and molecular characteristics of rotaviruses from Polish turkey flocks between 2008 and 2011

“…In Brazilian study, rotavirus infections were identified in 51.8% of surveyed turkey farms, and birds in most tested flocks were described as healthy (18). Among 51 diseased turkeys examined in Germany and the Netherlands between 2005 and 2008, 60.7% were identified as RV-positive (20).…”

“…Most of RVs detected in turkeys belonged to groups A and D (19,20,21). Recently, bovine-origin rotavirus A was also found in turkeys in Brazil (2).…”

“…In the first study, the group D of rotaviruses dominated, as 57.6% of turkeys were infected with this group, and only 3% with rotavirus A. Using the second diagnostic approach, rotavirus A was detected in 64.3% of studied turkeys and rotavirus D only in 7.1% of turkeys (20). The group of rotaviruses detected in Polish turkey farms is unknown, as the applied method allowed to amplify the fragment of not group-specific NSP4 gene.…”

Monitoring and molecular characterization of group Drotavirus in Brazilian poultry farms

“…In contrast, Otto et al (2012) showed a high prevalence of the RVD in chicken and turkey from commercial flocks in Europe and Bangladesh. They tested 199 samples from five different European countries and detected 56 (28.2% or 56/199) positive samples by Page and PCR.…”

Rotavirus infections in domestic animals

“…In order to better study these strains, various classification systems have been proposed, which rely, mainly, on their antigenic relationships and genomic characteristics. Nowadays, Rotavirus strains are classified into five main (A, B, C, D, E) and two additional tentative (F, G) serotype groups (or serogroups) on the basis of antigenic sites located on the VP6 protein (Ball, 2005;Estes and Kapikian, 2007;Matthijnssens et al, 2012;Otto et al, 2012). Strains classified into serogroup A, B or C have been found to be pathogenic for various animal species and humans; serogroup E strains have been isolated only from pigs; serogroup D, F or G strains have been isolated only from avian species (Saif and Jiang, 1994;Dhama et al, 2009;Martella et al 2007;Matthijnssens et al, 2011b).…”