Bovine Astrovirus Surveillance in Uruguay Reveals High Detection Rate of a Novel <i>Mamastrovirus</i> Species
Matías Castells,
Estefany Bertoni,
Rubén Darío Caffarena,
María Laura Casaux,
Carlos Schild,
Matías Victoria,
Franklin Riet-Correa,
Federico Giannitti,
Viviana Parreño,
Rodney Colina
Affiliations
Matías Castells
Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, CENUR Litoral Norte, Centro Universitario de Salto, Universidad de la República, Rivera 1350, Salto, Uruguay
Estefany Bertoni
Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, CENUR Litoral Norte, Centro Universitario de Salto, Universidad de la República, Rivera 1350, Salto, Uruguay
Rubén Darío Caffarena
Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Plataforma de Investigación en Salud Animal, Ruta 50 km 11, La Estanzuela 64988, Colonia, Uruguay
María Laura Casaux
Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Plataforma de Investigación en Salud Animal, Ruta 50 km 11, La Estanzuela 64988, Colonia, Uruguay
Carlos Schild
Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Plataforma de Investigación en Salud Animal, Ruta 50 km 11, La Estanzuela 64988, Colonia, Uruguay
Matías Victoria
Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, CENUR Litoral Norte, Centro Universitario de Salto, Universidad de la República, Rivera 1350, Salto, Uruguay
Franklin Riet-Correa
Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Plataforma de Investigación en Salud Animal, Ruta 50 km 11, La Estanzuela 64988, Colonia, Uruguay
Federico Giannitti
Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA), Plataforma de Investigación en Salud Animal, Ruta 50 km 11, La Estanzuela 64988, Colonia, Uruguay
Viviana Parreño
Sección de Virus Gastroentéricos, Instituto de Virología, CICV y A, INTA Castelar, Nicolás Repetto S/N, Buenos Aires 1686, Argentina
Rodney Colina
Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, CENUR Litoral Norte, Centro Universitario de Salto, Universidad de la República, Rivera 1350, Salto, Uruguay
Viral infections affecting cattle lead to economic losses to the livestock industry worldwide, but little is known about the circulation, pathogenicity and genetic diversity of enteric bovine astrovirus (BoAstV) in America. The aim of this work was to describe the prevalence and genetic diversity of enteric BoAstV in dairy cattle in Uruguay. A total of 457 fecal and 43 intestinal contents from dairy calves were collected between July 2015 and May 2017 and tested by RT-PCR, followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of the polymerase and capsid regions. Twenty-six percent (128/500) of the samples were positive. Three different species within the Mamastrovirus genus were identified, including Mamastrovirus 28, Mamastrovirus 33 (3 samples each) and an unclassified Mamastrovirus species (19 samples). The unclassified species was characterized as a novel Mamastrovirus species. BoAstV circulates in Uruguayan dairy cattle with a high genetic diversity. The eventual clinicopathological significance of enteric BoAstV infection in cattle needs further investigation.