Evidence from nature: interspecies spread of heron hepatitis B viruses.
Heron hepatitis B viruses (HHBVs) in three subspecies of free-living great blue herons (Ardea herodias) from Florida, USA, were identified and characterized. Eight of 13 samples were positive in all assays used, whereas sera from egrets, which are also members of the family Ardeidae, were negative in the same assays. Comparative phylogenetic analysis of viral DNA sequences from the preS/S region of previously reported and novel HHBV strains isolated from captive grey herons (Germany) and free-ranging great blue herons (USA), respectively, revealed a strong conservation (95 % sequence similarity) with two separate clusters, implying a common ancestor of all strains. Our data demonstrate for the first time that different subspecies of herons are infected by HHBV and that these infections exist in non-captive birds. Phylogenetic analysis and the fact that the different heron species are geographically isolated populations suggest that lateral transmission, virus adaptation and environmental factors all play a role in HHBV spreading and evolution.
Lin
Li
L
Heinrich-Pette-Institut für Experimentelle Virologie und Immunologie an der Universität Hamburg, PO Box 201652, 20206 Hamburg, Germany.
Prassolov
Alexej
A
Heinrich-Pette-Institut für Experimentelle Virologie und Immunologie an der Universität Hamburg, PO Box 201652, 20206 Hamburg, Germany.
Funk
Anneke
A
Heinrich-Pette-Institut für Experimentelle Virologie und Immunologie an der Universität Hamburg, PO Box 201652, 20206 Hamburg, Germany.
Quinn
Laura
L
Florida Keys Wild Bird Centre, Tavernier, FL 33070, USA.
Hohenberg
Heinz
H
Heinrich-Pette-Institut für Experimentelle Virologie und Immunologie an der Universität Hamburg, PO Box 201652, 20206 Hamburg, Germany.
Frölich
Kai
K
Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany.
Newbold
John
J
School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7290, USA.
Ludwig
Arne
A
Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany.
Will
Hans
H
Heinrich-Pette-Institut für Experimentelle Virologie und Immunologie an der Universität Hamburg, PO Box 201652, 20206 Hamburg, Germany.
Sirma
Hüseyin
H
Heinrich-Pette-Institut für Experimentelle Virologie und Immunologie an der Universität Hamburg, PO Box 201652, 20206 Hamburg, Germany.
Steinbach
Falko
F
Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Str. 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany.
D000818:Animals; D017917:Avihepadnavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D001717:Birds / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D018347:Hepadnaviridae Infections / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D004279:DNA, Viral; C118669:S envelope protein, hepatitis B virus; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins