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Complete genome sequence of canine astrovirus with molecular and epidemiological characterisation of UK strains.


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Type

Article

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Authors

Caddy, Sarah L 

Abstract

Astroviruses are a common cause of gastroenteritis in children worldwide. These viruses can also cause infection in a range of domestic and wild animal species. Canine astrovirus (CaAstV) was first identified in the USA, and has since been reported in dogs from Europe, the Far East and South America. We sought to determine whether CaAstV is circulating in the UK dog population, and to characterise any identified strains. Stool samples were collected from pet dogs in the UK with and without gastroenteritis, and samples were screened for CaAstV by qPCR. Four CaAstV positive samples were identified from dogs with gastroenteritis (4/67, 6.0%), whereas no samples from healthy dogs were positive (p<0.001). Sequencing of the capsid sequences from the four CaAstV strains found significant genetic heterogeneity, with only 80% amino acid identity between strains. The full genome sequence of two UK CaAstV strains was then determined, confirming that CaAstV conforms to the classic genome organisation of other astroviruses with ORF1a and ORF1b separated by a frameshift and ORF2 encoding the capsid protein. This is the first report describing the circulation of CaAstV in UK dogs with clinical signs of gastroenteritis, and the first description of the full-length genomes of two CaAstV strains.

Description

Keywords

Canine astrovirus, Complete genome, Gastroenteritis, Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Astroviridae, Astroviridae Infections, Base Sequence, Capsid Proteins, Dog Diseases, Dogs, Feces, Gastroenteritis, Genome, Viral, Molecular Sequence Data, Pets, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Sequence Homology, Species Specificity, United Kingdom

Journal Title

Vet Microbiol

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0378-1135
1873-2542

Volume Title

177

Publisher

Elsevier
Sponsorship
Wellcome Trust (097997/Z/11/Z)
This work was supported by a PhD studentship from the Medical Research Council to S.C. and a Wellcome Trust Senior Fellowship to I.G. (Ref: WT097997MA). I.G. is a Wellcome Senior Fellow.