Detection of DNA of the finch polyomavirus in diseases of various types of birds in the order Passeriformes

Between 2000 and 2004 a disease occurred in an aviary in Germany affecting various bird species belonging to the order Passeriformes including Collared Grosbeaks (Mycerobas affinis), Eurasian Bullfinches (Pyrrhula pyrrhula griseiventris), Brown Bullfinches (Pyrrhula nipalensis), Grey-headed bullfinches (Pyrrhula erythaca) and Yellow-bellied Tits (Periparus venustulus).The major clinical signs included increased mortality of fledglings and young birds, as well as feather disorders and feather loss in adult birds. In addition, adult Eurasian Bullfinches showed in one year a disease course, in which the major symptom was inflammation of the skin beginning on the basis of the beak and spreading over the head occurring a few days before death. Bacteriological and parasitological investigations did not reveal any consistent findings. Using a newly developed polymerase chain reaction protocol, DNA of the recently discovered finch polyomavirus (FPyV) was demonstrated in several affected birds. Because of the consistent detection of FPyV-DNA and the similarity of the symptoms with those observed during infection with the closely related avian polyomavirus in other bird species, an etiological role of FPyV in the observed disease is assumed.     

Sequence Analysis of the Full‐Length Cloned DNA of a Chicken Anaemia Virus (CAV) Strain from Bangladesh: Evidence for Genetic Grouping of CAV Strains Based on the Deduced VP1 Amino Acid Sequences

Chicken anaemia virus (CAV) was detected in the bursa of Fabricius of a 4‐week‐old chicken obtained from an outbreak of acute infectious bursal disease in Bangladesh. Repeated attempts to grow this virus in MDCC‐MSB1 cells were not successful. A full‐length PCR amplicon of the genome of this strain, designated as BD‐3 CAV, was cloned and sequenced. The complete nucleotide sequence and the deduced amino acid sequence were compared with those of 12 other CAV strains. The genetic analysis of the amino acid sequences of VP1 indicated the possible existence of genetic groups among CAV strains, as BD‐3 CAV along with four other strains (CIA‐1, L‐028, Isolate 704 and TR‐20) formed a distinct lineage. These strains have four signatory amino acids in VP1, such as ⁷⁵I/T, ⁹⁷L, ¹³⁹Q and ¹⁴⁴Q, out of which the latter two are located in a small hydrophilic peak.     

Experimental infection of domestic pigeons with pigeon circovirus

Pigeon circovirus (PiCV) infection and young pigeon disease syndrome (YPDS), associated with high morbidity and mortality, have been recognized in young racing pigeons from large portions of Central Europe. There exist a number of data indicating that YPDS is a consequence of PiCV infection and subsequent immunosuppression. In order to prove PiCV to be one of the crucial factors of YPDS, an experimental infection with PiCV was performed under controlled conditions. Twenty-four domestic pigeons (Columba livia forma domestica) were divided into two groups with 12 pigeons each; an infection group and a control group. All birds were between their fourth to eighth week of life. Pigeons in the infection group were infected both intramuscularly and orally with PiCV purified from naturally infected birds, while pigeons in the control group received a placebo. To test a possible influence of the PiCV infection on the immune system, the animals in both groups were vaccinated simultaneously, on the same day, against PMV-1 (Lasovac plus, IDT, Dessau-Tornau, Germany). Weekly virologic testing showed a viraemic period, and excretion of the infection virus, in pigeons in the infection group. Replication of PiCV could be proved on the basis of histologic findings of multiglobular inclusion bodies, mainly observed in macrophages of the bursa of Fabricius. A PiCV, genetically distinct from the experimental virus, was detected in the control group by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, but any histologic findings comparable to the infection group were absent. None of the pigeons revealed clinical signs of illness, or hints that immunosuppression had occurred, regardless of their group. The absence of stressful conditions, considered as a trigger for the development of YPDS, may be responsible for the failure of disease reproduction in our infection model.     

Polyomavirus infections in exotic birds in Switzerland]

Polyomavirus infections in budgerigars, in other parrots as well as in passeriformes have been described in many countries, but not in Switzerland so far. This paper reports on cases of polyomavirus infections in three different bird collections in Switzerland. The first outbreak occurred in a mixed collection of passeriformes, the second in a collection of parrotlets (Genus Forpus), and the third in a large groups of parrots (Psittaciformes), of which only one recently acquired Kea (Nestor notabilis) was affected. The clinical symptoms, gross necropsy changes and histopathologic findings are described. The presence of avian polyomavirus was confirmed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).     

Detection and characterization of potentially zoonotic viruses in faeces of pigs at slaughter in Germany

Pigs can harbour a variety of viruses in their gastrointestinal tract. Some of them are closely related to human viruses and are therefore suspected to have a zoonotic potential. Only little is known about the presence of those viruses in pigs at slaughter. However, by contamination of meat with zoonotic viruses during the slaughtering process, food-borne transmission to humans may be possible. Here we analyzed 120 faecal samples of pigs at slaughter from 3 different geographical regions of Germany for the presence of astrovirus (AstV), encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV), hepatitis E virus (HEV), norovirus genogroup II (NoV GII) and group A rotavirus (GARV). Using real-time RT-PCR, the most frequently detected virus was AstV, which was present in 20.8% of the samples, followed by NoV GII with a detection rate of 14.2%. EMCV, HEV and GARV were found only occasionally with detection rates of 4.2%, 2.5% and 0.8%, respectively. Analyses of partial genome sequences of the viruses indicated that the detected AstV and NoV GII mainly represented typical pig virus strains, which have not been detected in humans so far. However, the GARV and HEV strains were more closely related to human strains. The results indicate that enteric viruses, some of them with zoonotic potential, are present in pig faeces at slaughter. Application of good hygiene practice is necessary to minimize the risk of introducing these viruses into the food and to prevent virus transmission to highly exposed persons such as slaughterers and veterinarians.     

Rotaviruses: diversity and zoonotic potential--a brief review

Rotaviruses, a genus within the family Reoviridae, are among the most important etiological agents of severe diarrhoeal illness in humans and animals worldwide. Their genome, consisting of 11 segments of double-stranded RNA, is characterized by genetic variability including (i) point mutations, (ii) genomic reassortment, and (iii) genome rearrangements, thus leading to the considerable diversity of rotaviruses. Animal rotaviruses are regarded as a potential reservoir for genetic exchange with human rotaviruses.There is now increasing evidence that animal rotaviruses can infect humans, either by direct transmission of the virus or by contributing one or several genes to reassortants with essentially a human strain genetic background. As mixed infections are a prerequisite for reassortment events, cosurveillance of animal and human rotavirus strains will be vital to gain a better understanding of the relationships between cocirculating viruses, as well as assessing any relevant vaccination programs.     

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in wild boar and deer in Brandenburg,Germany

Consumption of game in Germany has increased during the past 10 years. Wild boar (Sus scrofa), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) are the most frequently hunted and consumed game animals in Germany, yet information on the occurrence of zoonotic pathogens in these animal species is scarce. To better estimate the public health risk emanating from handling and consumption of game, this study investigated seroprevalences of Toxoplasma gondii in game hunted in the German federal state of Brandenburg during two hunting seasons from 2017 to 2019. Toxoplasma gondii‐specific antibodies were detected in 24.4% (44/180, 95% CI: 18.4%–31.4%) of wild boar, 12.8% (16/125, 95% CI: 7.5%–20%) of roe deer and 6.4% (3/47, 95% CI: 1.3%–17.5%) of red deer using a commercial ELISA kit. Seroprevalences were similar in the two hunting seasons. Correlation between sex and seropositivity could not be observed. A rise in seroprevalence was seen with increasing age in all studied game species. Observed seroprevalences suggest that T. gondii is endemic in the sylvatic environment in the German federal state of Brandenburg and imply that game could represent a relevant source for human T. gondii infection.