title: Astroviruses in rabbits.
abstract: By screening rabbits with enterocolitis or enteritis complex and asymptomatic rabbits, we identified a novel astrovirus. The virus was distantly related (19.3%-23.7% aa identity) in the capsid precursor to other mammalian astroviruses within the Mamastrovirus genus. By using real-time reverse transcription PCR, with specific primers and probes and targeting a conserved stretch in open reading frame 1b, we found rabbit astrovirus in 10 (43%) of 23 samples from animals with enteric disease and in 25 (18%) of 139 samples from asymptomatic animals in Italy during 2005-2008. The mean and median titers in the positive animals were 10(2)× and 10(3)× greater, respectively, in the symptomatic animals than in the asymptomatic animals. These findings support the idea that rabbit astroviruses should be included in the diagnostic algorithm of rabbit enteric disease and animal experiments to increase information obtained about their epidemiology and potential pathogenic role.
authors.affiliation: University of Bari Aldo Moro, Valenzano, Italy. v.martella@veterinaria.uniba.it
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martella
authors.forename: Paschalina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moschidou
authors.forename: Pierfrancesco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Cristiana
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Catella
authors.forename: Constantina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Desario
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Larocca
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Circella
authors.forename: Krisztian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bànyai
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lavazza
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Magistrali
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Decaro
authors.forename: Canio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buonavoglia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019350:Astroviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D001483:Base Sequence; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D004751:Enteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D001257:Mamastrovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D011817:Rabbits / Q000821:virology*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D004279:DNA, Viral