title: Identification in porcine faeces of a novel virus with a bisegmented double stranded RNA genome.
abstract: Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of nucleic acids extracted from porcine faecal samples revealed in several samples the presence of two discrete bands. The bands were resistant to digestion with of DNase I and RNase T1, but not with RNase A in low salt conditions, indicating that they consisted of double stranded (ds) RNA. The two bands from different samples varied in sizes, in a range between 2.4-2.6 kbp and 1.7-1.9 kbp for the slow and fast moving band respectively. The bands cosedimented in CsCl gradients at an average density of 1.415 g/ml with icosahedral virus particles of a diameter of 34 nm and a triangulation number equal to 3. Aggregates of virus, which appeared to be immunocomplexes, were seen in one sample. From 244 faecal samples collected in one farm, 27 (11.1%) were found to contain the characteristic dsRNA pattern, with a higher prevalence in samples from animals 15 to 35 days old. The agent was equally distributed among samples from diarrhoeic or non-diarrhoeic animals. These results confirm the circulation among pigs of a novel virus, possibly of vertebrates, with a bisegmented double stranded RNA genome, similar to viruses previously described in humans, wild rats, guinea pigs, pigs, and chickens, for which the name "picobirnavirus" has been proposed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Biologia de Virus, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas (IVIC), Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ludert
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liprandi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012328:RNA Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012260:Ribonucleases; D013552:Swine / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012260:Ribonucleases