Discovery of novel astrovirus and calicivirus identified in ruddy turnstones in Brazil

Abstract

Birds are the natural reservoir of viruses with zoonotic potential, as well as contributing to the evolution, emergence, and dissemination of novel viruses. In this study, we applied a high-throughput screening approach to identify the diversity of viruses in 118 samples of birds captured between October 2006 to October 2010 in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil. We found nearly complete genomes of novel species of astrovirus and calicivirus in cloacal swabs of ruddy turnstones ( Arenaria interpres ) collected in Coroa do Avião islet, Pernambuco State. These viruses are positive-sense single-stranded RNA with a genome of ~7 to 8 kb, and were designated as Ruddy turnstone astrovirus (RtAstV) and Ruddy turnstone calicivirus (RTCV), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that RtAstV and RTCV grouped in a monophyletic clade with viruses identified from poultry samples (i.e., chicken, goose, and turkey), including viruses associated with acute nephritis in chickens. Attempts of viral propagation in monkey and chicken cell lines for both viruses were unsuccessful. Also, we found genomes related with viral families that infect invertebrates and plants, suggesting that they might be ingested in the birds’ diet. In sum, these findings shed new light on the diversity of viruses in migratory birds with the notable characterization of a novel astrovirus and calicivirus.

Discovery and Characterization of Novel RNA Viruses in Aquatic North American Wild Birds

“…These two viruses, according to our analyses, are not the closest relative to DuCV-2 B6, suggesting the presence of several different viral lineages in ducks. Furthermore, avian caliciviruses have been identified in China [40,68,69], Germany [38,39], Australia [12,42], and Brazil [41] and, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of avian caliciviruses in wild birds of North America.…”

“…For coronaviruses, representative members of the species Igacovirus identified in various avian hosts as well as viruses recently proposed as novel species were included in the analyses [23,32,33] and the two viruses infecting marine mammals within the species Cegacovirus were used as an outgroup. For caliciviruses, all avian viruses identified to date were included in the tree [35,41,42], excluding only strains that were >99% identical to other viruses already included, and two sapoviruses of mammals (human calicivirus and porcine calicivirus) were included as an outgroup. Accession numbers of sequences used are provided in Figure 1, Figure 2 and Figure 3.…”

“…Currently, avian caliciviruses are classified within the two genera Bavovirus (species: Bavaria virus ) and Nacovirus (species: Nacovirus A ), two viral clades that are monophyletic and whose closest relatives are members of the genus Sapovirus [35,37]. However, recent studies have determined that the diversity of avian caliciviruses is higher than anticipated and several novel viral species, and possibly genera, have been identified in various avian hosts, including geese, ducks, shorebirds, and others [12,40,41,42].…”

Four novel Picornaviruses detected in Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) in Chile

“…This data suggests that there is capacity of viruses to be shared across multiple penguin species and locations. How these viruses may fit into the larger migratory flyways used by other birds in South America, such as Red Knot (Calidris canutus), is very unclear (37,38). In addition to ecological questions, of importance would be to understand the route of transmission of these viruses.…”

Comparison of gut viral communities in diarrhoea and healthy dairy calves

“…Norovirus and Sapovirus are collectively referred to as human calicivirus (HuCV). In recent years, a large number of unclassified novel caliciviruses have been identified in samples of wild birds [44], goose [45], and fish [46].…”