Identification of a Novel Enterovirus Species in Rhesus Macaque in China

Abstract

Recent studies of Enterovirus (EV) in nonhuman primates (NHPs), which could act as a source of future emerging human viral diseases, have boosted interest in the search for novel EVs. Here, a highly divergent strain of EV, tentatively named SEV-gx, was identified by viral metagenomic analysis from stool samples of rhesus macaques in China. In total, 27 of 280 (9.6%) faecal samples from rhesus macaques were positive for SEV-gx. Its complete genomic sequence is 7,367 nucleotide (nt). Genomic analyses showed that it has a standard genomic organisation for EVs, being more closely related to EV-J strains (approximately 54.0%, 43.0–44.1%, 52.3–55.2%, 61.1–62.7% and 64.0% amino acids identity in polyprotein, P1, P2 and P3 and combined 2C/3CD regions, respectively). It was also shown to have genome characteristics typical of EVs. Phylogenetic analysis of P1, 2C and 3CD aa indicated that SEV-gx can be classified as a distinct cluster in the EVs. All of this evidence demonstrates SEV-gx is a novel species (tentatively named EV-K) in the EV genus, which contributes to our understanding of the genetic diversity and evolution of EVs. Further studies are needed to investigate the potential pathogenicity of SEV-gx in NHPs and humans.

A Novel Simian Adenovirus Associating with Human Adenovirus Species G Isolated from Long-Tailed Macaque Feces

“…Using PCR, we detected the presence of the VIDISCA-suggested sequences from the tentative new astrovirus, enterovirus, and adenovirus in long-tailed macaques in difference areas of Thailand. Potentially novel astroviruses, enteroviruses, and adenoviruses have also been identified and characterized in macaques from other locations [ 36 , 37 , 38 ]. NHPs have long been recognized as reservoirs of these enteric viruses, and some of them are associated with viruses that cause diseases in humans or have even been proved to have cross-species transmission potential [ 39 , 40 , 41 ].…”

Animal enteroviruses: a glimpse of a wide evolutionary landscape

“…About ten viruses have been thus identified in different species of NHPs (Table 1). Later, other EVs were identified by isolation or molecular detection in faeces of captive or wild NHPs in Central Africa, Bangladesh, China and the United States [65][66][67][68][69][70][71]. The simian EVs have long been named and classified according to a specific taxonomy, which has recently been modified to be consistent with the one applied the other EVs (Table 1) [72].…”

“…The simian EVs have long been named and classified according to a specific taxonomy, which has recently been modified to be consistent with the one applied the other EVs (Table 1) [72]. The genome organization of the known simian EVs does not differ from that of human EVs [65,73,74].…”

“…Two studies of Central African NHPs have identified viruses belonging to a new EV species, which is still unnamed [71,75]; some viruses misidentified as EV-Js in another study [68] actually belong to this new EV species, which includes several virus types of which only two have been named (EV-122 and EV-123). Last, the species EV-H contains only one known virus type (EV-H1), represented by four specimens, while the species EV-L is known only through one specimen [65].…”