Faecal virome of cats in an animal shelter

J Gen Virol. 2014 Nov;95(Pt 11):2553-2564. doi: 10.1099/vir.0.069674-0. Epub 2014 Jul 30.

Abstract

We describe the metagenomics-derived feline enteric virome in the faeces of 25 cats from a single shelter in California. More than 90 % of the recognizable viral reads were related to mammalian viruses and the rest to bacterial viruses. Eight viral families were detected: Astroviridae, Coronaviridae, Parvoviridae, Circoviridae, Herpesviridae, Anelloviridae, Caliciviridae and Picobirnaviridae. Six previously known viruses were also identified: feline coronavirus type 1, felid herpes 1, feline calicivirus, feline norovirus, feline panleukopenia virus and picobirnavirus. Novel species of astroviruses and bocaviruses, and the first genome of a cyclovirus in a feline were characterized. The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase region from four highly divergent partial viral genomes in the order Picornavirales were sequenced. The detection of such a diverse collection of viruses shed within a single shelter suggested that such animals experience robust viral exposures. This study increases our understanding of the viral diversity in cats, facilitating future evaluation of their pathogenic and zoonotic potentials.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anelloviridae / genetics
  • Anelloviridae / isolation & purification
  • Animals
  • Astroviridae / genetics
  • Astroviridae / isolation & purification
  • Bocavirus / genetics
  • Bocavirus / isolation & purification
  • Caliciviridae / genetics
  • Caliciviridae / isolation & purification
  • California
  • Cats / virology*
  • Circoviridae / genetics
  • Circoviridae / isolation & purification
  • Feces / virology
  • Fishes / virology
  • Genetic Variation
  • Genome, Viral*
  • Herpesviridae / genetics
  • Herpesviridae / isolation & purification
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Insect Viruses / genetics
  • Metagenomics
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Parvoviridae / genetics
  • Parvoviridae / isolation & purification
  • Phylogeny
  • Picobirnavirus / genetics
  • Picobirnavirus / isolation & purification
  • Plant Viruses / genetics
  • RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase / genetics
  • Viral Proteins / genetics

Substances

  • Viral Proteins
  • RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase

Associated data

  • GENBANK/KM017736
  • GENBANK/KM017737
  • GENBANK/KM017738
  • GENBANK/KM017739
  • GENBANK/KM017740
  • GENBANK/KM017741
  • GENBANK/KM017742
  • GENBANK/KM017743
  • GENBANK/KM017744
  • GENBANK/KM017745