title: First Description of Hepacivirus and Pegivirus Infection in Domestic Horses in China: A Study in Guangdong Province, Heilongjiang Province and Hong Kong District.
abstract: Since 2012, three viruses, known as equine hepacivirus (EqHV), equine pegivirus (EPgV) and Theiler's disease-associated virus (TDAV), have been discovered in equines. Given that these viruses are the newest members of the Flaviviridae family, genomic information concerning circulating EqHV, EPgV and TDAV strains around the world is limited. To date, no genetic surveillance studies have been performed on these three viruses in the equine population of China. Here, a total of 177 serum samples were collected from equines across China between 2014 and 2015. Using PCR, we detected viral RNA in the serum samples, six of which were EqHV positive and two of which were EPgV positive. Co-infection with the two viruses was not observed among the Chinese equines studied, and TDAV RNA was not detected in the equine serum samples collected for this study. Phylogenetic analysis of partial NS5B open reading frame (ORF), NS3 ORF, and 5' untranslated region nucleotide sequences from EqHV as well as partial NS3 ORF sequence from EPgV indicated that EqHV and EPgV have evolved into two main clades by themselves, both of which are circulating in China. Based on the partial NS5B and NS3 ORF sequences of EqHV, the sequences of one clade were also split into two subclades. This study enriches our knowledge of the geographic distribution of these three equine viruses.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, P. R. China.|Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Prevention and Control for Severe Clinical Animal Diseases of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, P. R. China.|Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Prevention and Control for Severe Clinical Animal Diseases of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Lingshuang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, P. R. China.|Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Prevention and Control for Severe Clinical Animal Diseases of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, P. R. China.|Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Prevention and Control for Severe Clinical Animal Diseases of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, P. R. China.|Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Prevention and Control for Severe Clinical Animal Diseases of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Zengchao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, P. R. China.|Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Prevention and Control for Severe Clinical Animal Diseases of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Shudan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, P. R. China.|Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Prevention and Control for Severe Clinical Animal Diseases of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, P. R. China.|Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Prevention and Control for Severe Clinical Animal Diseases of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Liguo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, P. R. China.|Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Prevention and Control for Severe Clinical Animal Diseases of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Shoujun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D018178:Flaviviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000662:veterinary*; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D006736:Horses; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral