Discovery of Novel Alphacoronaviruses in European Rodents and Shrews

Author: Tsoleridis Theocharis   Onianwa Okechukwu   Horncastle Emma   Dayman Emma   Zhu Miaoran   Danjittrong Taechasit   Wachtl Marta   Behnke Jerzy M.   Chapman Sarah   Strong Victoria   Dobbs Phillipa   Ball Jonathan K.   Tarlinton Rachael E.   McClure C. Patrick  

Publisher: MDPI

E-ISSN: 1999-4915|8|3|84-84

ISSN: 1999-4915

Source: Viruses, Vol.8, Iss.3, 2016-03, pp. : 84-84

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Abstract

Eight hundred and thirteen European rodents and shrews encompassing seven different species were screened for alphacoronaviruses using PCR detection. Novel alphacoronaviruses were detected in the species Rattus norvegicus, Microtus agrestis, Sorex araneus and Myodes glareolus. These, together with the recently described Lucheng virus found in China, form a distinct rodent/shrew-specific clade within the coronavirus phylogeny. Across a highly conserved region of the viral polymerase gene, the new members of this clade were up to 22% dissimilar at the nucleotide level to the previously described Lucheng virus. As such they might represent distinct species of alphacoronaviruses. These data greatly extend our knowledge of wildlife reservoirs of alphacoronaviruses.