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Veterinary Medicine and Science Jul 2024This study presents the case of non-purulent encephalomyelitis associated with astrovirus infection in a sheep from Eastern Anatolia, Türkiye.
BACKGROUND
This study presents the case of non-purulent encephalomyelitis associated with astrovirus infection in a sheep from Eastern Anatolia, Türkiye.
METHODS
A necropsy was performed on a sheep showing nervous signs. Afterwards, brain tissue samples were taken and examined with histopathological, immunohistochemical and molecular techniques.
RESULTS
Neuropathologic changes included neuronal degeneration, diffuse gliosis, multifocal perivascular cuffing, neuronophagy and neuronal necrosis in the cerebrum, the cerebellum and the cervical spinal cord. Aerobic and anaerobic bacterial culture, selective culture for Listeria monocytogenes, and PCR analysis for rabies virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus, Türkiye encephalitis virus, small ruminant lentiviruses and border disease virus were negative. However, the presence of astrovirus RNA in cerebral, cerebellar and spinal cord samples was demonstrated by a pan-astrovirus RT-PCR. Immunohistochemical examinations revealed astrovirus antigens within the neuronal cytoplasm. High-throughput sequencing techniques identified the causative agent as a member of the genotype species Mamastrovirus 13 but representing a distinct genetic lineage with similarity to ovine astrovirus 1 in the open-reading frames (ORF)1ab region and muskox astrovirus in the ORF2 region.
CONCLUSION
This report provides evidence that astroviruses are potentially encephalitis-causing pathogens in ovine populations in Türkiye, featuring an astrovirus strain distinct from those previously identified in sheep.
Topics: Animals; Sheep; Astroviridae Infections; Sheep Diseases; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Encephalomyelitis; Sheep, Domestic; Astroviridae; Mamastrovirus; Phylogeny
PubMed: 38879881
DOI: 10.1002/vms3.1499 -
Infection, Genetics and Evolution :... Aug 2024Caliciviruses (Caliciviridae) and astroviruses (Astroviridae) are among the leading cause of non-bacterial foodborne disease and gastroenteritis in human. These...
Caliciviruses (Caliciviridae) and astroviruses (Astroviridae) are among the leading cause of non-bacterial foodborne disease and gastroenteritis in human. These non-enveloped RNA viruses infect a wide range of vertebrate species including rodents. Rodents are among the most important hosts of infectious diseases globally and are responsible for over 80 zoonotic pathogens that affect humans. Therefore, screening pathogens in rodents will be is necessary to prevent cross-species transmission to prevent zoonotic outbreaks. In the present study, we screened caliciviruses and astroviruses in order to describe their diversity and whether they harbor strains that can infect humans. RNA was then extracted from intestine samples of 245 rodents and retrotranscribed in cDNA to screen caliciviruses and astroviruses by PCRs. All the samples tested negative for caliciviruses and while astroviruses were detected in 18 (7.3%) samples of Rattus rattus species. Phylogenetic analyses based on the RdRp gene showed that all the sequences belonged to Mamastrovirus genus in which they were genetically related to R. rattus related AstVs previously detected in Gabon or in Rattus spp. AstV from Kenya and Asia. These findings suggested that transportation such as land and railway, as well national and international trade, are likely to facilitate spread of AstVs by the dissemination of rodents.
Topics: Animals; Phylogeny; Astroviridae; Caliciviridae Infections; Astroviridae Infections; Caliciviridae; Rodentia; Commerce; Rats; Humans
PubMed: 38806078
DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2024.105607 -
Viruses May 2024(1) Goose astrovirus (GAstV) is a novel emerging pathogen that causes significant economic losses in waterfowl farming. A convenient, sensitive, and specific detection...
(1) Goose astrovirus (GAstV) is a novel emerging pathogen that causes significant economic losses in waterfowl farming. A convenient, sensitive, and specific detection method for GAstV in field samples is important in order to effectively control GAstV. Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) is a novel, sensitive, good-precision, and absolute quantitation PCR technology which does not require calibration curves. (2) In this study, we developed a ddPCR system for the sensitive and accurate quantification of GAstV using the conserved region of the ORF2 gene. (3) The detection limit of ddPCR was 10 copies/µL, ~28 times greater sensitivity than quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). The specificity of the test was determined by the failure of amplification of other avian viruses. Both ddPCR and qPCR tests showed good repeatability and linearity, and the established ddPCR method had high sensitivity and good specificity to GAstV. Clinical sample test results showed that the positive rate of ddPCR (88.89%) was higher than that of qPCR (58.33%). (4) As a result, our results suggest that the newly developed ddPCR method might offer improved analytical sensitivity and specificity in its GAstV measurements. The ddPCR could be widely applied in clinical tests for GAstV infections.
Topics: Animals; Astroviridae Infections; Sensitivity and Specificity; Geese; Avastrovirus; Poultry Diseases; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Reproducibility of Results; Astroviridae; Limit of Detection
PubMed: 38793646
DOI: 10.3390/v16050765 -
Virus Research May 2024The gut of healthy neonates is devoid of viruses at birth, but rapidly becomes colonised by normal viral commensals that aid in important physiological functions like...
The gut of healthy neonates is devoid of viruses at birth, but rapidly becomes colonised by normal viral commensals that aid in important physiological functions like metabolism but can, in some instances, result in gastrointestinal illnesses. However, little is known about how this colonisation begins, its variability and factors shaping the gut virome composition. Thus, understanding the development, assembly, and progression of enteric viral communities over time is key. To explore early-life virome development, metagenomic sequencing was employed in faecal samples collected longitudinally from a cohort of 17 infants during their first six months of life. The gut virome analysis revealed a diverse and dynamic viral community, formed by a richness of different viruses infecting humans, non-human mammals, bacteria, and plants. Eukaryotic viruses were detected as early as one week of life, increasing in abundance and diversity over time. Most of the viruses detected are commonly associated with gastroenteritis and include members of the Caliciviridae, Picornaviridae, Astroviridae, Adenoviridae, and Sedoreoviridae families. The most common co-occurrences involved asymptomatic norovirus-parechovirus, norovirus-sapovirus, sapovirus-parechovirus, observed in at least 40 % of the samples. Majority of the plant-derived viruses detected in the infants' gut were from the Virgaviridae family. This study demonstrates the first longitudinal characterisation of the gastrointestinal virome in infants, from birth up to 6 months of age, in sub-Saharan Africa. Overall, the findings from this study delineate the composition and variability of the healthy infants' gut virome over time, which is a significant step towards understanding the dynamics and biogeography of viral communities in the infant gut.
PubMed: 38776984
DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2024.199403 -
Viruses Mar 2024Goose astrovirus genotype 1 (GAstV-1) has emerged in goose farms in some provinces of China in recent years and is considered to be one of the pathogens of gout in...
Goose astrovirus genotype 1 (GAstV-1) has emerged in goose farms in some provinces of China in recent years and is considered to be one of the pathogens of gout in goslings in China. However, few studies have been conducted on the dynamic distribution, tissue tropism, and pathogenesis of GAstV-1 in goslings. In 2022, an epidemiological investigation of goose astrovirus (GAstV) in goslings was conducted in seven provinces of China. During the investigation, a GAstV-1 designated as GAstV-JSXZ was identified in the kidney of an 8-day-old gosling and was successfully isolated from a goose embryo. The full genome sequence of GAstV-JSXZ was determined using the next-generation sequencing technique. The complete genome of GAstV-JSXZ was 7299-nt-long. Interestingly, the phylogenetic analysis revealed that Chinese GAstV-1 has formed two distinct subgroups based on the ORF 2 genomes, designated GAstV-1 1a and GAstV-1 1b. The GAstV-JSXZ shared the highest identity with GAstV-1 1a strain FLX and TZ03 in nucleotides (ORF1a: 98.3-98.4%; ORF1b: 92.3-99.1%; ORF2: 95.8-98.8%) and amino acid sequences (ORF1a: 99.4-99.5%; ORF1b: 98.2-98.8%; ORF2: 97.0-99.4%). To evaluate the pathogenicity of GAstV-1, 1-day-old goslings were inoculated with the virus by oral and subcutaneous injection routes, respectively. The results revealed that the virus causes extensive pathological organ damage, especially in the kidney, liver, and thymus. Virus-specific genomic RNA could be detected in the cloacal swabs and tissues of infected goslings throughout the experiment. The viral copy numbers examined in the kidney and intestine were the highest, followed by the liver and spleen. These results are likely to provide a new understanding of the pathogenicity of GAstV-1 in geese.
Topics: Animals; Geese; China; Astroviridae Infections; Phylogeny; Poultry Diseases; Genotype; Genome, Viral; Astroviridae; Avastrovirus; Virulence; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
PubMed: 38675884
DOI: 10.3390/v16040541 -
International Journal of Hygiene and... Jun 2024Occupational exposure to pathogens can pose health risks. This study investigates the viral exposure of workers in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and a swine farm...
Occupational exposure to pathogens can pose health risks. This study investigates the viral exposure of workers in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and a swine farm by analyzing aerosol and surfaces samples. Viral contamination was evaluated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays, and target enrichment sequencing (TES) was performed to identify the vertebrate viruses to which workers might be exposed. Additionally, Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) was conducted to estimate the occupational risk associated with viral exposure for WWTP workers, choosing Human Adenovirus (HAdV) as the reference pathogen. In the swine farm, QMRA was performed as an extrapolation, considering a hypothetical zoonotic virus with characteristics similar to Porcine Adenovirus (PAdV). The modelled exposure routes included aerosol inhalation and oral ingestion through contaminated surfaces and hand-to-mouth contact. HAdV and PAdV were widespread viruses in the WWTP and the swine farm, respectively, by qPCR assays. TES identified human and other vertebrate viruses WWTP samples, including viruses from families such as Adenoviridae, Circoviridae, Orthoherpesviridae, Papillomaviridae, and Parvoviridae. In the swine farm, most of the identified vertebrate viruses were porcine viruses belonging to Adenoviridae, Astroviridae, Circoviridae, Herpesviridae, Papillomaviridae, Parvoviridae, Picornaviridae, and Retroviridae. QMRA analysis revealed noteworthy risks of viral infections for WWTP workers if safety measures are not taken. The probability of illness due to HAdV inhalation was higher in summer compared to winter, while the greatest risk from oral ingestion was observed in workspaces during winter. Swine farm QMRA simulation suggested a potential occupational risk in the case of exposure to a hypothetical zoonotic virus. This study provides valuable insights into WWTP and swine farm worker's occupational exposure to human and other vertebrate viruses. QMRA and NGS analyses conducted in this study will assist managers in making evidence-based decisions, facilitating the implementation of protection measures, and risk mitigation practices for workers.
Topics: Animals; Swine; Occupational Exposure; Wastewater; Humans; Risk Assessment; Farms; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Viruses; Environmental Monitoring
PubMed: 38555823
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2024.114360 -
Viruses Mar 2024Wild birds are a natural reservoir for zoonotic viruses. To clarify the role of migratory birds in viruses spread in Poyang Lake, we investigated the microbiome of 250...
Wild birds are a natural reservoir for zoonotic viruses. To clarify the role of migratory birds in viruses spread in Poyang Lake, we investigated the microbiome of 250 wild bird samples from 19 species in seven orders. The bacterial and viral content abundance and diversity were preliminarily evaluated by Kraken2 and Bracken. After de novo assembly by Megahit and Vamb, viral contigs were identified by CheckV. The reads remapped to viral contigs were quantified using Bowtie2. The bacterial microbiome composition of the samples covers 1526 genera belonging to 175 bacterial orders, while the composition of viruses covers 214 species belonging to 22 viral families. Several taxonomic biomarkers associated with avian carnivory, oral sampling, and raptor migration were identified. Additionally, 17 complete viral genomes belonging to , , , , and were characterized, and their phylogenetic relationships were analyzed. This pioneering metagenomic study of migratory birds in Poyang Lake, China illuminates the diverse microbial landscape within these birds. It identifies potential pathogens, and uncovers taxonomic biomarkers relevant to varied bird habitats, feeding habits, ecological classifications, and sample types, underscoring the public health risks associated with wintering migratory birds.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Phylogeny; Lakes; Birds; Animals, Wild; Microbiota; Biomarkers; China
PubMed: 38543762
DOI: 10.3390/v16030396 -
Open Forum Infectious Diseases Mar 2024Astroviral infections commonly cause acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis in children globally. However, these infections often go undiagnosed outside of research...
BACKGROUND
Astroviral infections commonly cause acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis in children globally. However, these infections often go undiagnosed outside of research settings. There is no treatment available for astrovirus, and Astroviridae strain diversity presents a challenge to potential vaccine development.
METHODS
To address our hypothesis that host genetic risk factors are associated with astrovirus disease susceptibility, we performed a genome-wide association study of astrovirus infection in the first year of life from children enrolled in 2 Bangladeshi birth cohorts.
RESULTS
We identified a novel region on chromosome 1 near the loricrin gene () associated with astrovirus diarrheal infection (rs75437404; meta-analysis = 8.82 × 10; A allele odds ratio, 2.71) and on chromosome 10 near the prolactin releasing hormone receptor gene () (rs75935441; meta-analysis = 1.33 × 10; C allele odds ratio, 4.17). The prolactin-releasing peptide has been shown to influence feeding patterns and energy balance in mice. In addition, several single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the chromosome 1 locus have previously been associated with expression of innate immune system genes and .
CONCLUSIONS
This study identified 2 significant host genetic regions that may influence astrovirus diarrhea susceptibility and should be considered in further studies.
PubMed: 38524222
DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofae045 -
Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic... May 2024Astroviruses have been found in cattle and other species with encephalitis. Our objective was to determine the frequency of neurotropic bovine astrovirus (BoAstV) in...
Astroviruses have been found in cattle and other species with encephalitis. Our objective was to determine the frequency of neurotropic bovine astrovirus (BoAstV) in cases of encephalitis in cattle ≥ 4-mo-old. Of 56 cases of idiopathic lymphocytic encephalitis examined retrospectively (1988-2019), fixed brain from 11 cases (19%) tested positive by semi-quantitative RT-PCR for BoAstV CH13/NeuroS1. None of the control cases tested positive, including 32 with other forms of encephalitis and 40 with no neurologic disease. Most astrovirus-positive cases were 1-2-y-old, with a range of 7 mo to 7 y, and affected both beef and dairy breeds with wide geographic distribution. BoAstV-positive cases had acute onset of neurologic signs of 12 h to 7 d before death or euthanasia. Affected cattle had lymphocytic inflammation throughout the brain including cerebrum, thalamus, midbrain, cerebellum, medulla oblongata, and spinal cord, and affecting gray and white matter. Further PCR testing identified a possible cause in 9 of the 45 (20%) remaining idiopathic cases of lymphocytic encephalitis, including eastern equine encephalitis virus, , bovine viral diarrhea virus, bovine alphaherpesvirus 1, and ovine gammaherpesvirus 2 (malignant catarrhal fever); we found no cases of infection by West Nile virus, rabies virus, or spp. No cause was identified in 36 of 56 (64%) cases of lymphocytic encephalitis. We frequently identified neurotropic BoAstV in cases of lymphocytic encephalitis that had no previously identified cause. Neurotropic BoAstV infections had gone undetected for decades, but the frequency of BoAstV infections has not increased among contemporary cases.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Astroviridae Infections; Cattle Diseases; Retrospective Studies; Ontario; Female; Male; Encephalitis, Viral; Astroviridae
PubMed: 38500024
DOI: 10.1177/10406387241237192 -
Poultry Science May 2024Goose astrovirus (GAstV) is a newly identified viral pathogen threatening waterfowl, exhibiting a high prevalence across various regions in China. Notably, the Guanghan...
Goose astrovirus (GAstV) is a newly identified viral pathogen threatening waterfowl, exhibiting a high prevalence across various regions in China. Notably, the Guanghan District of Deyang City, situated in Sichuan Province, has faced a outbreak of GAstV, resulting in significant mortality among goslings due to the induction of gout-like symptoms. In our research, we successfully isolated a GAstV strain known as GAstV SCG3. This strain exhibits efficient replication capabilities, proving virulent in goslings and goose embryos. Our study delved into the characteristics of GAstV SCG3 both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, we examined tissue phagocytosis and the distribution of GAstV SCG3 in deceased goslings using H&E staining and IHC techniques. According to the classification established by the ICTV, GAstV SCG3 falls under the category of GAstV genotype-2. Notably, it demonstrates the highest homology with the published AHAU5 sequences, reaching an impressive 98%. Furthermore, our findings revealed that GAstV SCG3 exhibits efficient proliferation exclusively in goose embryos and in LMH cells, while not manifesting in seven other types of avian and mammalian cells. Significantly, the mortality of GAstV on goslings and goose embryos are 93.1 and 80%, respectively. Moreover, the viral load in the livers of infected goslings surpasses that in the kidneys when compared with the attenuated strain GAstV SCG2. The mortality of GAstV is usually between 20% and 50%, our study marks the first report of a virulent GAstV strain with such a high mortality.
Topics: Animals; Geese; Poultry Diseases; Astroviridae Infections; Genotype; Virulence; Avastrovirus; China; Phylogeny
PubMed: 38492247
DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103585