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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Athens, Georgia » U.S. National Poultry Research Center » Endemic Poultry Viral Diseases Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #320644
Title: Comparative metagenomic analyses of the poultry enteric virome: implications for diagnostics

Author
item Day, James
item Zsak, Laszlo

Submitted to: World Veterinary Poultry Association
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/7/2015
Publication Date: 9/6/2015
Citation: Day, J.M., Zsak, L. 2015. Comparative metagenomic analyses of the poultry enteric virome: implications for diagnostics [abstract]. 19th World Veterinary Poultry Association Congress Program. p. 139.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Previous comparative metagenomic analyses of the viral communities present in the poultry gut have revealed novel enteric viruses that may affect the overall performance of birds or that may play roles in disease syndromes such as Runting-Stunting Syndrome (RSS) or Poult Enteritis Complex (PEC). Our approach for determining the transmissible enteric viruses present in a broiler chicken flock using contact (sentinel) birds has revealed considerable alterations in the enteric virome following the field contact period. The alteration in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) enteric viromes present in specific-pathogen free (SPF) sentinels, before and after field contact with broilers experiencing non-specific enteric disease, was determined in a comparative metagenomic analysis following high-throughput sequencing. Prior to placement, the enteric viromes of the SPF chickens were dominated by members of the Caliciviridae and Siphoviridae viral families, respectively. Following five days of contact time with the flock in question, the sentinel birds’ viromes had changed considerably—with members of the Astroviridae and Parvoviridae, respectively, observed as the dominating enteric viral taxa. Other suspect viruses, particularly members of the avian enteric picornaviruses (family Picornaviridae), were also detected as co-infections in the sentinels. As the technology, equipment, and consumables for high-throughput sequencing becomes more accessible and cost-effective, this metagenomic approach may prove to be the preferred diagnostic method for elucidating the probable etiologic agents in complex, multifactorial diseases such as RSS and PEC. Phylogenetic analyses of these novel enteric viruses, as well as the implications for future diagnostic techniques, will be discussed.