A divergent picornavirus from a turkey with gastro-intestinal disease

Authors: NG, TERRY - University Of California; Cheung, Andrew; WONG, WALT - University Of California; Lager, Kelly; KONDOV, NIKOLA - University Of California; CHA, YUNHEE - University Of California; MURPHY, DUANE - Purdue University; POGRANICHNIY, ROMAN - Purdue University; DELWART, ERIC - University Of California

Submitted to: Genome Announcements
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/22/2013
Publication Date: 5/2/2013
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/56449
Citation: Ng, T.F.F., Cheung, A.K., Wong, W., Lager, K.M., Kondov, N.O., Cha, Y., Murphy, D.A., Pogranichniy, R.M., Delwart, E. 2013. Divergent picornavirus from a turkey with gastro-intestinal disease. Genome Announcements. 1(3):e00134-13.

Interpretive Summary: Developments in technology have enabled the discovery of viruses without the need to isolate the virus. This technique was applied to fecal samples collected from sick turkey poults in the United States that were weak and had diarrhea. A novel virus was identified and named turkey avisivirus. It is closely related to a turkey virus recently discovered in Hungary using similar techniques. The Hungarian turkey virus also was isolated from sick birds. Additional studies are needed to understand the prevalence of these new viruses and if they have any relationship to disease.

Technical Abstract: A novel picornavirus, turkey avisivirus (TuASV), was identified from the feces of turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) with gastro-intestinal disease from a farm in Indiana, USA. Its genome organization is 5’UTR**IRES-II[VP0,VP3,VP1,2A,2B,2C,3A,3B,3Cpro,3Dpol]3’UTR-poly(A). TuASV only shares 34% (P1), 36% (P2), and 35% (P3) amino acid identities to avihepatoviruses, potentially representing a novel picornavirus genus.