title: First detection and molecular characterization of sapoviruses and noroviruses with zoonotic potential in swine in Ethiopia.
abstract: Noroviruses (NoVs) and sapoviruses (SaVs), which belong to the family Caliciviridae, are important human and animal enteric pathogens with zoonotic potential. In Ethiopia, no study has been done on the epidemiology of animal NoVs and SaVs. The aim of this study was to detect and characterize NoVs and SaVs from swine of various ages. Swine fecal samples (n = 117) were collected from commercial farms in Ethiopia. The samples were screened for caliciviruses by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using universal and genogroup-specific primer pairs. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted using a portion of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) region and the VP1 region of genome sequences of caliciviruses. Among 117 samples, potential caliciviruses were detected by RT-PCR in 17 samples (14.5 %). Of the RT-PCR-positive fecal samples, four were sequenced, of which two were identified as human NoV GII.1 and the other two as porcine SaV GIII. The porcine SaV strains that were detected were genetically related to the porcine enteric calicivirus Cowden strain genogroup III (GIII), which is the prototype porcine SaV strain. No porcine NoVs were detected. Our results showed the presence of NoVs in swine that are most similar to human strains. These findings have important implications for NoV epidemiology and food safety. Therefore, continued surveillance of NoVs in swine is needed to define their zoonotic potential, epidemiology and public and animal health impact. This is the first study to investigate enteric caliciviruses (noroviruses and sapoviruses) in swine in Ethiopia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. zufsisay@gmail.com.|Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. zufsisay@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Zufan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sisay
authors.affiliation: Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock, Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub, P.O. Box 30709, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya.
authors.forename: Appolinaire
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Djikeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.|Centre for Imported and Tropical Diseases, Oslo University Hospital-Ulleval, Oslo, Nornway.
authors.forename: Nega
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Berhe
authors.affiliation: Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Gurja
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Belay
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Woldaregay Erku
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Abegaz
authors.affiliation: Food Animal Health Research Program, Ohio Agricultural Research Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Q H
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Food Animal Health Research Program, Ohio Agricultural Research Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Linda J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Saif
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017250:Caliciviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005002:Ethiopia; D005243:Feces / Q000821:virology; D029322:Norovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D029341:Sapovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins