Monitoring and molecular characterization of group Drotavirus in Brazilian poultry farms

Abstract

RESUMO.-[Monitoramento e caracterização molecular de rotavírus do grupo D em criações comerciais brasileiras.] Rotavírus são agentes etiológicos de diarreia tanto em humanos como em várias espécies animais. Dados sobre rotavírus do grupo D (RVD) em aves são escassos, especialmente no Brasil. Nós detectamos RVD em 4 pools de conteúdo intestinal de frango de corte, poedeiras e matrizes de um total de 111 pools originários de 8 estados brasileiros, representando uma ocorrência de 3,6% a partir de uma RT-PCR específica para RVD, tendo como alvo o gene VP6. A árvore filogenética confirmou que as amostras brasileiras pertencem ao grupo D e três das sequências obtidas foram idênticas em termos de aminoácidos enquanto uma apresentou 99,5% de identidade com as demais. As sequências aqui definidas são semelhantes a outras sequências previamente definidas no Brasil, confirmando a natureza conservada da proteína VP6. INTRODUCTIONRotaviruses are members of the Reoviridae family, and they are a major cause of acute gastroenteritis in young children and several mammalian and avian species (Brüssow et al. 1992, Estes & Kapikian 2007. They are non-enveloped icosahedral particles and its genome comprises 11 segments of double-stranded RNA, which encodes six structural proteins (VP1 to VP4, VP6 and VP7) and six nonstructural proteins (NSP1 to NSP6). Based on antibody reactivity or genetic sequencing of structural protein VP6 of the internal capsid, rotaviruses have been classified into the groups A to G ( Brazil. E-mail: laila_andreia@hotmail.com Rotaviruses are etiological agents of diarrhea both in humans and in several animal species. Data on avian Group D rotaviruses (RVD) are scarce, especially in Brazil. We detected RVD in 4 pools of intestinal contents of broilers, layer and broiler breeders out of a total of 111 pools from 8 Brazilian states, representing an occurrence of 3.6%, by a specific RVD RT-PCR targeting the VP6 gene. Phylogenetic tree confirmed that the Brazilian strains belong to group D and 3 of the sequences were identical in terms of amino acid whereas one showed 99.5% identity with the others. The sequences described in this study are similar to other sequences previously detected in Brazil, confirming the conserved nature of the VP6 protein.

Group A rotavirus gastroenteritis in orphaned Leopardus tigrinus and Leopardus pardalis (Carnivora: Felidae) in the Eastern Amazon

“…Group A RVs are the most important epidemiologically because they are associated with a higher number of infections in humans and a broad range of mammals and birds, including interspecies transmission 53 . Historically, groups A, B, and C RVs are known to infect humans and other mammals 37,53 , whereas groups D, F, and G RVs were found only in birds 54,55 . Nevertheless, there are reports of avian group A RVs, which generally fall into a separate genotype and show different electrophoretic patterns from RVs that infect mammals, suggesting that transmission of these avian viruses to mammals would be unlikely 55,56 .…”

Group A Rotavirus Gastroenteritis in Orphaned Leopardus Tigrinus and Leopardus Pardalis (CARNIVORA: FELIDAE) in the Eastern Amazon

“…RVs were found only in birds [46,47]. However, there are reports of avian group A RVs, which generally fall into a separate genotype and show different electrophoretic patterns from viruses that infect mammals, suggesting that transmission of these avian viruses to mammals would be unlikely [47,48].…”

Avian Group D Rotaviruses: Structure, Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Perspectives on Future Research Challenges

“…In the study done by Kattoor et al (2013), a continent-specific clustering of sequences could be identified, where isolates from South America and Eurasia were showing a high content of divergence within the dendrogram [ 50 ]. In 2015, a study published by Beserra and coworkers revealed that the Brazilian isolates were forming exclusive clusters, and were well segregated from the rest of the world’s isolates [ 19 ]. However, as per our analysis, Brazilian sequences, which were collected at different time points, showed high divergence, which lead to the clustering of sequences into diverse clusters [Cluster 1.1, 2.3 and 2.4 ( Figure 4 )].…”

“…Avian rotaviruses (AvRVs) were first identified from the United States (USA) in 1977 in turkey poults suffering from enteritis using electron microscopy, and afterwards in the United Kingdom (UK) in 1978 [ 16 ]. Since then, AvRVs have been reported from various geographical regions including France, Egypt, Argentina, Brazil, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and India [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. As of now, RVs have been divided into eight serogroups, namely RVA, RVB, RVC, up to RVH (A–H), based on the gene composition and antigenic properties of the group-specific VP6 protein [ 20 ].…”