First description of group A rotavirus from fecal samples of ostriches (Struthio camelus).
This study investigated the occurrence of rotavirus infections in ostriches (Struthio camelus) reared in Northern Paraná, Brazil. Fecal (n=66) and serum (n=182) samples from nine farms located in four different cities were analyzed by silver stained-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (ss-PAGE), RT-PCR assay, virus isolation, and counterimmunoelectroosmophoresis (CIE). Rotavirus group A seropositivity occurred in 5.49% (10/182) of serum samples of ostriches originated from two farms. Only 9.09% (6/66) of fecal samples from ostriches with diarrhea maintained in one farm were positive by ss-PAGE, RT-PCR, and virus isolation. The G (VP7) and P (VP4) genotypes of rotavirus wild strains isolated in cell culture were determined by multiplex-nested PCR. The genotyping identified two rotavirus strains: G6P[1] and G10P[1]. In three rotavirus strains it was only possible to identify the P type; one strain being P[1] and two strains that presented the combination of P[1]+P[7]. These findings might represent the first characterization of rotavirus in ostriches, and the finding of porcine and bovine-like rotavirus genotypes in ostriches might suggest virus reassortment and possible interspecies transmission.
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Norte do Paraná, Arapongas, PR, Brazil.
L C
LC
Silva
A A
AA
Sanches
F
F
Gregori
P E
PE
Brandão
A A
AA
Alfieri
S A
SA
Headley
J A
JA
Jerez
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000737:chemistry; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology*; D005838:Genotype; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D020310:Struthioniformes
D000914:Antibodies, Viral