title: Fecal virome analysis of three carnivores reveals a novel nodavirus and multiple gemycircularviruses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  More knowledge about viral populations in wild animals is needed in order to better understand and assess the risk of zoonotic diseases. In this study we performed viral metagenomic analysis of fecal samples from three healthy carnivores: a badger (Meles meles), a mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) and an otter (Lutra lutra) from Portugal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We detected the presence of novel highly divergent viruses in the fecal material of the carnivores analyzed, such as five gemycircularviruses. Four of these gemycircularviruses were found in the mongoose and one in the badger. In addition we also identified an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene from a putative novel member of the Nodaviridae family in the fecal material of the otter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Together these results underline that many novel viruses are yet to be discovered and that fecal associated viruses are not always related to disease. Our study expands the knowledge of viral species present in the gut, although the interpretation of the true host species of such novel viruses needs to be reviewed with great caution.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of viral metagenomics, Rega Institute for Medical Research Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, B-3000, Belgium. nadia.daconceicaoneto@uzleuven.be.
authors.forename: Nádia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Conceição-Neto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of viral metagenomics, Rega Institute for Medical Research Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, B-3000, Belgium. mark.zeller@uzleuven.be.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zeller
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of viral metagenomics, Rega Institute for Medical Research Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, B-3000, Belgium. elisabeth.heylen@uzleuven.be.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heylen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of viral metagenomics, Rega Institute for Medical Research Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, B-3000, Belgium. hanne.lefrere@uzleuven.be.
authors.forename: Hanne
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lefrère
authors.affiliation: Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Department of Animal Science, Rural Engineering and Veterinary, Viseu, Portugal. jmesquita@esav.ipv.pt.
authors.forename: João Rodrigo
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Mesquita
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of viral metagenomics, Rega Institute for Medical Research Leuven, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Leuven, B-3000, Belgium. jelle.matthijnssens@uzleuven.be.
authors.forename: Jelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Matthijnssens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004267:DNA Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology*; D008988:Herpestidae / Q000821:virology*; D056186:Metagenomics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D045969:Mustelidae / Q000821:virology*; D030381:Nodaviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010041:Otters / Q000821:virology*; D011174:Portugal; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA