Emerging Infectious Diseases (Sep 2017)

Group A Rotavirus Associated with Encephalitis in Red Fox

  • Chiara Busi,
  • Vito Martella,
  • Alice Papetti,
  • Cristiano Sabelli,
  • Davide Lelli,
  • G. Loris Alborali,
  • Lucia Gibelli,
  • Daniela Gelmetti,
  • Antonio Lavazza,
  • Paolo Cordioli,
  • M. Beatrice Boniotti

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2309.170158
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 23, no. 9
pp. 1535 – 1538

Abstract

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In 2011, a group A rotavirus was isolated from the brain of a fox with encephalitis and neurologic signs, detected by rabies surveillance in Italy. Intracerebral inoculation of fox brain homogenates into mice was fatal. Genome sequencing revealed a heterologous rotavirus of avian origin, which could provide a model for investigating rotavirus neurovirulence.

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