Detection and genetic diversity of water buffalo astrovirus in feces
reveals neurotropic, genetic recombinant and possible interspecies
transmission
Abstract
Astroviruses (AstVs) are major causative agents of gastroenteritis in
children and had been detected worldwide. Recently, the novel
neurotropic AstV associated with encephalitis and meningitis has been
found in different species including human, bovine and ovine. However,
little is known about the prevalence of neurotropic AstVs in water
buffalo of China. In this study, we examined fecal samples from water
buffalo in the Guangxi province of China and found different lineages of
Water Buffalo Astrovirus (BufAstV) infections, especially the
neurotropic BufAstV (BufAstV-NNA-14 GenBank: MT499772) which belongs to
the VA/HMO cluster strains and this is its first detection in China.
Based on the 3’RACE and next-generation sequencing technologies, 2
full-length genomes (BufAstV-NNA-14 and BufAstV-NNA-12) and 2 ORF2 genes
(BufAstV-NND-s2 and BufAstV-NNA-17) of AstVs from this source were
sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of the ORF2 indicated 3 major lineages
of BufAstVs including a novel neurotropic BufAstV, a BufAstV which is
related to Bovine Astrovirus (BoAstV) and a classical BufAstV. Moreover,
the occurrence of frequent genomic recombination between BufAstV and
BoAstV strains have been identified. This is the first report to
describe a neurotropic BufAstV in water buffalo feces in China and
details of the epidemiology, genetic diversity and possible interspecies
transmission of BoAstV and BufAstV in water buffalo from the Guangxi
province of China are described.