title: Discovery of a new avian bornavirus genotype in estrildid finches (Estrildidae) in Germany.
abstract: Avian bornaviruses (ABV) are known to be the causative agent of proventricular dilatation disease (PDD) in parrots and their relatives (Psittaciformes). A broad range of ABV genotypes has been detected not only in psittacine birds, but also in other avian species including canary birds (Serinus canaria forma domestica) and Bengalese finches (Lonchura striata f. dom.), which are both members of the order songbirds (Passeriformes). During this study 286 samples collected from captive and wild birds of various passerine species in different parts of Germany were screened for the presence of ABV. Interestingly, only three ABV-positive samples were identified by RT-PCR. They originated from one yellow-winged pytilia (Pytilia hypogrammica) and two black-rumped waxbills (Estrilda troglodytes) from a flock of captive estrildid finches in Saxony. The ABV isolates detected here were only distantly related to ABV isolates found in passerine species in Germany and Japan and form a new genotype tentatively called ABV-EF (for "estrildid finches").
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Straße 11, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: Dennis.Rubbenstroth@uniklinik-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rubbenstroth
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Birds and Reptiles, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 17, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Ornamental Fish, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, University Ludwig Maximilian Munich, Sonnenstraße 18, D-85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rinder
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Pets, Reptiles and Birds, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 9, D-30559 Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Legler
authors.affiliation: Institute for Virology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Straße 25, D-53127 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Victor Max
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Corman
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, University of Freiburg, Hermann-Herder-Straße 11, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Staeheli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D001483:Base Sequence; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D028981:Bornaviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D046369:Finches / Q000821:virology*; D005838:Genotype; D005858:Germany; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018701:Mononegavirales Infections / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
keywords: ABV; Bornaviridae; Diagnosis; Passeriformes; Phylogeny; Virus cultivation