School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Science and Health, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
Tridip Das
School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Science and Health, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
Andrew Peters
School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Science and Health, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
Suman Das Gupta
Biosecurity Research Program and Training Centre, Gulbali Institute, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
Subir Sarker
Biomedical Sciences & Molecular Biology, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4814, Australia
Jade K. Forwood
Biosecurity Research Program and Training Centre, Gulbali Institute, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
Shane R. Raidal
School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Science and Health, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
Shubhagata Das
School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Science and Health, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
Pigeon circovirus (PiCV) is considered to be genetically diverse, with a relatively small circular single-stranded DNA genome of 2 kb that encodes for a capsid protein (Cap) and a replication initiator protein (Rep). Australasia is known to be the origin of diverse species of the Order Columbiformes, but limited data on the PiCV genome sequence has hindered phylogeographic studies in this species. To fill this gap, this study was conducted to investigate PiCV in 118 characteristic samples from different birds across Australia using PCR and sequencing. Eighteen partial PiCV Rep sequences and one complete PiCV genome sequence were recovered from reservoir and aberrant hosts. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that PiCV circulating in Australia was scattered across three different subclades. Importantly, one subclade dominated within the PiCV sequenced from Australia and Poland, whereas other PiCV sequenced in this study were more closely related to the PiCV sequenced from China, USA and Japan. In addition, PiCV Rep sequences obtained from clinically affected plumed whistling duck, blue billed duck and Australian magpie demonstrated natural spillover of PiCV unveiled host generalist characteristics of the pigeon circovirus. These findings indicate that PiCV genomes circulating in Australia lack host adapted population structure but demonstrate natural spillover infection.
