Virome Profiling of an Eastern Roe Deer Reveals Spillover of Viruses from Domestic Animals to Wildlife

Eastern roe deer (<i>Capreolus pygargus</i>) is a small ruminant and is widespread across China. This creature plays an important role in our ecological system. Although a few studies have been conducted to investigate pathogens harbored by this species, our knowledge of the virus divers...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yue Sun, Lanshun Sun, Sheng Sun, Zhongzhong Tu, Yang Liu, Le Yi, Changchun Tu, Biao He
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-01-01
Series:Pathogens
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/2/156
Description
Summary:Eastern roe deer (<i>Capreolus pygargus</i>) is a small ruminant and is widespread across China. This creature plays an important role in our ecological system. Although a few studies have been conducted to investigate pathogens harbored by this species, our knowledge of the virus diversity is still very sparse. In this study, we conducted the whole virome profiling of a rescue-failed roe deer, which revealed a kobuvirus (KoV), a bocaparvovirus (BoV), and multiple circular single-stranded viruses. These viruses were mainly recovered from the rectum, but PCR detection showed systematic infection of the KoV. Particularly, the KoV and BoV exhibited closely genetic relationships with bovine and canine viruses, respectively, highly suggesting the spillover of viruses from domestic animals to wildlife. Although these viruses were unlikely to have been responsible for the death of the animal, they provide additional data to understand the virus spectrum harbored by roe deer. The transmission of viruses between domestic animals and wildlife highlights the need for extensive investigation of wildlife viruses.
ISSN:2076-0817