Molecular identification and characterization of a genotype 3 hepatitis e virus (HEV) strain detected in a wolf faecal sample, Italy

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is a major health problem worldwide. In developed countries, zoonotic transmission of HEV genotypes (Gt) 3 and 4 is caused by the ingestion of raw or undercooked meat of infected pigs and wild boars, the main reservoirs of HEV. However, additional animals may harbour HEV or HEV-related strains, including carnivores. In this study, we investigated the molecular epidemiology of orthohepeviruses in wild canids by screening a total of 136 archival faecal samples, collected from wolves (42) and red foxes (94) in Northwestern Italy. Orthohepevirus RNA was identified in a faecal specimen, collected from a wolf carcass in the province of La Spezia (Liguria Region, Italy). The nearly full-length (7212 nucleotides) genome of the strain HEV/81236/Wolf/2019/ITA (GenBank accession no. MZ463196) was determined by combining a sequence-independent single-primer amplification (SISPA) approach with the Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencing platform. Upon phylogenetic analysis, the HEV detected in wolf was segregated into clade HEV-3.1, displaying the highest nucleotide (nt) identity (89.0–93.3%) to Gt3 strains belonging to subtype c. Interestingly, the wolf faecal sample also contained porcine astrovirus sequences, endorsing the hypothesis of a dietary origin of the HEV strain due to preying habits

Molecular Survey on Kobuviruses in Domestic and Wild Ungulates From Northwestern Italian Alps

Since the first identification in 1989 in humans, kobuviruses (KoVs) have been identified from a wide range of animal species including carnivores, rodents, birds, ungulates, rabbits, and bats. Several studies have described the identification of genetically related KoVs in the fecal virome of domestic and wild animals suggesting a mutual exchange of viruses. By screening a total of 231 fecal samples from wild and domestic ungulates, KoVs RNA was detected in wild boars (3.2%; 2/63), chamois (4.6%; 2/43), and goats (2.6%; 2/77). On phylogenetic analysis of the partial RdRp sequence, the wild boar strains clustered within the species Aichivirus C whilst the strains identified in domestic and wild ruminants grouped into the species Aichivirus B. The complete VP1 gene was obtained for chamois and goat KoVs. Interestingly, upon phylogenetic analysis the strains grouped together with a KoV of ovine origin within a distinct genetic type (B3) of the species Aichivirus B

Molecular detection of canine bufaviruses in wild canids

Novel protoparvoviruses genetically related to human and non-human primate bufaviruses (BuVs) have been detected recently in respiratory and enteric specimens collected from dogs and cats. In this study, by molecular screening of archival collections of faecal samples from wolves and foxes, we detected BuVs with a rate of 17.1% (7/41) and 10.5% (9/86), respectively. Sequence analysis of a portion of the ORF2 gene region of nine positive samples showed that the viruses in these samples were closely related to BuVs (97.5–99.0% nucleotide sequence identity) found in domestic carnivores

Surveillance study of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in domestic and wild ruminants in northwestern Italy

In industrialized countries, increasing autochthonous infections of hepatitis E virus (HEV) are caused by zoonotic transmission of genotypes (Gts) 3 and 4, mainly through consumption of contaminated raw or undercooked pork meat. Although swine and wild boar are recognized as the main reservoir for Gt3 and Gt4, accumulating evidence indicates that other animal species, including domestic and wild ruminants, may harbor HEV. Herein, we screened molecularly and serologically serum and fecal samples from two domestic and four wild ruminant species collected in Valle d’Aosta and Piemonte regions (northwestern Italy. HEV antibodies were found in sheep (21.6%), goats (11.4%), red deer (2.6%), roe deer (3.1%), and in Alpine ibex (6.3%). Molecular screening was performed using different primer sets targeting highly conserved regions of hepeviruses and HEV RNA, although at low viral loads, was detected in four fecal specimens (3.0%, 4/134) collected from two HEV seropositive sheep herds. Taken together, the data obtained document the circulation of HEV in the geographical area assessed both in wild and domestic ruminants, but with the highest seroprevalence in sheep and goats. Consistently with results from other studies conducted in southern Italy, circulation of HEV among small domestic ruminants seems to occur more frequently than expected