Tracing the origin and co-phylogeny of the caliciviruses.
Caliciviruses infect a wide range of mammalian hosts and include the genus Norovirus, the major cause of food-borne viral gastroenteritis in humans. Using publicly available sequence data and phylogenetic analysis tools, the origins and virus-host co-phylogeny of these viruses were investigated. Here, evidence is presented in support of host switching by caliciviruses, but showing that zoonotic transfer does not appear to have occurred in the history of these viruses. The age or demography of the caliciviruses cannot yet be estimated with any firm degree of support, but further studies of this family, as new dated sequences become available, could provide key information of importance to human health and in understanding the emergence of food-borne disease.
Etherington
Graham J
GJ
Department of Food Safety Science, Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK.
Ring
Susan M
SM
Department of Food Safety Science, Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK.
Charleston
Michael A
MA
Evolutionary Biology Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK.
Dicks
Jo
J
Computational Biology Group, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7HA, UK.
Rayward-Smith
Vic J
VJ
School of Computing Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
Roberts
Ian N
IN
Department of Food Safety Science, Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK.
D000818:Animals; D002139:Caliciviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D002415:Cats / Q000235:genetics; D002417:Cattle / Q000235:genetics; D003628:Database Management Systems; D005260:Female; D016678:Genome; D016679:Genome, Viral; D034621:Hares / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans / Q000235:genetics; D029322:Norovirus / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D011817:Rabbits / Q000235:genetics; D046070:Sea Lions / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity; D013552:Swine / Q000235:genetics