title: Towards inferring the global movement of beak and feather disease virus.
abstract: Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) is a circular single-stranded DNA virus that causes psittacine beak and feather disease. We analysed 184 publically available BFDV full genomes to infer both the approximate geographical origin of the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of these sequences and past BFDV long-range migrations using a Bayesian phylogeographic analyses. While the analysed BFDV sequences were sampled over too brief a period to ensure a strong enough temporal signal for accurate long-term substitution rate estimation, we were nevertheless able to identify Australia as the most likely location of the MRCA; A finding consistent with historical records of BFDV incidence. We additionally identified various trans-global BFDV movements including a number from Europe to regions of the world where psittacines are naturally found. This is concerning because it suggests that any BFDV variants that might emerge in captive European birds could directly threaten wild psittacine populations.
authors: South African National Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa. Electronic address: gordon@sanbi.ac.za.
authors: Gordon W
authors: GW
authors: Harkins
authors: Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Computational Biology Group, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
authors: Darren P
authors: DP
authors: Martin
authors: South African National Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors: Alan
authors: A
authors: Christoffels
authors: Electron Microscope Unit, Division of Medical Biochemistry, Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa; School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand; Biomolecular Interaction Centre, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand.
authors: Arvind
authors: A
authors: Varsani
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D018173:Circoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D017925:Circovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D058974:Phylogeography; D011563:Psittaciformes / Q000821:virology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: BFDV; Beak and feather disease virus; Circovirus; Parrots; Phylogeography