title: Molecular characterization of avian rotaviruses circulating in Italian poultry flocks.
abstract: Avian rotaviruses are still largely undefined despite being widespread in several avian species and despite the economic impact of rotavirus (RV) enteritis in poultry flocks. In this study, the presence of different avian RV groups was investigated in commercial poultry flocks reared in Northern and Central Italy and with a history of enteric diseases. Faeces or intestinal contents from different avian species previously found to contain RV particles by electron microscopy (EM) were analysed by both RNA-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction specific for groups A, D, F and G RVs. Group D avian RV was detected in 107 of 117 samples tested (91.5%), whereas groups A, F and G avian RVs were present in 70 (59%), 61 (52.1%) and 31 (26.5%) samples, respectively. Multiple presence of different RV groups was detected in 83% of samples. This study provides novel data on the prevalence of genetically different avian RVs in Italian poultry flocks. This information is useful to elucidate the epidemiology of avian RVs circulating in Italy.
authors.affiliation: a Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria e Sicurezza Alimentare , Istituto Superiore di Sanità , Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma , Italy.
authors.forename: Emiliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Falcone
authors.affiliation: b Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna , Via Antonio Bianchi, 7/9, 25124 Brescia , Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Busi
authors.affiliation: b Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna , Via Antonio Bianchi, 7/9, 25124 Brescia , Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lavazza
authors.affiliation: a Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria e Sicurezza Alimentare , Istituto Superiore di Sanità , Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma , Italy.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monini
authors.affiliation: b Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna , Via Antonio Bianchi, 7/9, 25124 Brescia , Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bertoletti
authors.affiliation: b Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna , Via Antonio Bianchi, 7/9, 25124 Brescia , Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Canelli
authors.affiliation: a Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria e Sicurezza Alimentare , Istituto Superiore di Sanità , Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma , Italy.
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vignolo
authors.affiliation: a Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria e Sicurezza Alimentare , Istituto Superiore di Sanità , Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma , Italy.
authors.forename: Franco Maria
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Ruggeri
authors.affiliation: b Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna , Via Antonio Bianchi, 7/9, 25124 Brescia , Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Beatrice
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Boniotti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004751:Enteritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D046094:Galliformes / Q000821:virology*; D005766:Gastrointestinal Contents / Q000821:virology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA