Astroviruses (AstVs) have been detected in a wide range of animal species, including mammals and birds. Recently, a novel AstV associated with neurological symptoms has been detected in the brains of some mammals. Raccoon dog AstV has been reported recently in China. However, there have been no reports in South Korea. Therefore, the present study aimed to detect and genetically characterize AstVs in the intestine and brain tissues of 133 wild raccoon dogs collected in Korea between 2017 and 2019. Of the seven raccoon dogs, AstVs were detected in six intestinal tissues and four brain tissues. Analysis of the capsid protein amino acid sequences of raccoon dog AstVs detected in Korea revealed a high similarity to canine AstVs, suggesting possible interspecies transmission between raccoon dogs and dogs. Phylogenetic and capsid protein amino acid sequence analysis of raccoon dog AstVs detected in the brain the 17-148B strain belonging to the HMO clade and exhibiting conserved sequences found in neurotropic AstVs (NT-AstVs), indicating their potential as NT-AstVs. However, the pathogenicity and transmission routes of the raccoon dog AstV detected in Korea have not yet been elucidated, so further research and continued surveillance for AstV in wild raccoon dogs are needed.
Astroviruses (AstVs) have been detected in a wide range of animal species, including mammals and birds. Recently, a novel AstVs associated with neurological symptoms has been detected in the brain of some mammals. Raccoon dog AstV has been reported recently in China. However, there have been no reports in South Korea. Therefore, the present study aimed to detect and genetically characterize AstVs in intestine and brain tissues of 133 wild raccoon dogs collected in Korea between 2017 and 2019. Seven wild raccoon dogs were positive for AstV, four of which were also detected in brain tissue. Analysis of the capsid protein amino acid sequences of raccoon dog AstVs detected in Korea revealed a high similarity to canine AstVs, suggesting possible interspecies transmission between raccoon dogs and dogs. Phylogenetic and capsid protein amino acid sequence analysis of raccoon dog AstVs detected in brain 17-148B strain belonged to the HMO clade and exhibited conserved sequences found in neurotropic AstVs (NT-AstVs), indicating their potential as NT-AstVs. However, the pathogenicity and transmission routes of the raccoon dog AstV detected in Korea have not yet been elucidated, so further research and continued surveillance for AstV in wild raccoon dogs are needed.
Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) cause contagious diseases and have the potential to infect not only birds but also mammals. Wild birds are the natural reservoir of AIVs and spread them worldwide while migrating. Here we collected active AIV surveillance data from wild bird habitats during the 2019 to 2022 winter seasons (from September to March of the following year) in South Korea. We isolated 97 AIVs from a total of 7,590 fecal samples and found the yearly prevalence of AIVs was 0.83, 1.48, and 1.27, respectively. The prevalence of AIVs were generally higher from September to November. These findings demonstrate that a high number of wild birds that carry AIVs migrate into South Korea during the autumn season. The highest virus numbers were isolated from the species Anas platyrhynchos (72%; n=70), followed by Anas poecilorhyncha (15.4%; n=15), suggesting that each is an important host for these pathogens. Twenty-five hemagglutinin-neuraminidase subtypes were isolated, and all AIVs except the H5N8 subtype were found to be low-pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs). Active surveillance of AIVs in wild birds could benefit public health because it could help to estimate their risk for introduction into animals and humans. Moreover, considering that 132 cases of human AIV infections have been reported worldwide within the last 5 years, active surveillance of AIVs is necessary to avoid outbreaks.
Recently, astroviruses (AstVs) have been associated with neurological symptoms in pigs, cattle, sheep, minks, muskoxes, alpacas, and humans. To investigate genotypes of porcine astrovirus (PAstV) and neuroinvasive (Ni) PAstV in South Korea, five domestic pigs with neurological symptoms from three farms were tested using reverse transcriptase PCR, histopathology, and in situ hybridization (ISH). All five genotypes of PAstV were detected in brain tissues and coinfection of PAstV with multiple genotypes was observed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report pig infection by Ni-PAstV with multiple genotypes in South Korea.
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