Detection and characterization of a novel genotype of porcine astrovirus 4 from nasal swabs from pigs with acute respiratory disease

Arch Virol. 2016 Sep;161(9):2575-9. doi: 10.1007/s00705-016-2937-1. Epub 2016 Jun 21.

Abstract

Metagenomic sequencing of three nasal swabs collected from 10- to 21-day-old pigs exhibiting unexplained acute respiratory disease from two different commercial production facilities in Oklahoma identified a novel genotype of porcine astrovirus 4 (PAstV-4). The genomes had only ~75 % nucleotide sequence identity to previously characterized PAstV-4 isolates, while the capsid-encoding ORF2 had only ~53 % amino acid sequence identity to reference strains. A TaqMan assay targeting the novel ORF2 gene found 21 % and 19 % incidence in nasal and fecal swabs, respectively, submitted for unrelated diagnostic testing. PAstV-4 RNA levels were significantly higher (P = 0.04) in nasal swabs, suggesting a possible atypical respiratory tropism.

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Animals
  • Astroviridae / genetics
  • Astroviridae / isolation & purification*
  • Astroviridae Infections / veterinary*
  • Astroviridae Infections / virology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Viral
  • Genotype*
  • Phylogeny
  • Respiratory Tract Diseases / veterinary*
  • Respiratory Tract Diseases / virology
  • Swine
  • Swine Diseases / virology*
  • Viral Proteins / genetics
  • Viral Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Viral Proteins