Abstract
Rotaviruses (RV), especially Rotavirus A (RVA), are globally recognized as pathogens causing neonatal diarrhea, but they also affect intensive animal farming. However, the knowledge on their significance in wildlife is rather limited. The aim of the study was to unveil the prevalence, molecular epidemiology, and genetic diversity of RVA strains circulating in the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) population in Croatia. From 2018 to 2019, 370 fecal samples from fox carcasses hunted for rabies monitoring were collected. All samples were first tested using a VP2 real-time RT-PCR; in the subsequent course, positives were subjected to VP7 and VP4 genotyping. The results revealed an RVA prevalence of 14.9%, while the circulating RVA strains showed a remarkable genetic diversity in terms of 11 G and nine P genotypes, among which one G and three P were tentatively identified as novel. In total, eight genotype combinations were detected: G8P[14], G9P[3], G9P[23], G10P[11], G10P[3], G11P[13], G15P[21], and G?P[?]. The results suggest a complex background of previous interspecies transmission events, shedding new light on the potential influence of foxes in RVA epidemiology. Their role as potential reservoirs of broad range of RVA genotypes, usually considered typical solely of domestic animals and humans, cannot be dismissed.
Highlights
Rotaviruses (RV) are widespread pathogens of public health importance, causing an estimated 128,500 deaths each year, mostly in children in developing countries [1]
It is important to acknowledge that some VP7 sequences (G1, G2, G3, G5, G6, and some representatives of the G8 and G9 genotypes) and all VP4 sequences do not meet the requirements for the correct genotype assignment proposed by the Rotavirus Classification Working Group (RCWG) [9] and, may be considered as candidate G and P genotypes of the corresponding already established genotype
Its genetic diversity is well researched in human strains [17], lagging in domestic animals [18], while it has only scarcely been investigated when it comes to wildlife [5]
Summary
Rotaviruses (RV) are widespread pathogens of public health importance, causing an estimated 128,500 deaths each year, mostly in children in developing countries [1]. They represent a substantial healthcare burden in developed countries [2]. The rotavirus dsRNA genome is enclosed within a triple-layered capsid and consists of segments encoding viral proteins, of which six are structural (VP1–VP4, VP6 and VP7) and six are nonstructural (NSP1–NSP6) [8]. As for the genotype nomenclature, the genome segments encoding the outer structural proteins VP7 and VP4 are used most, defining the G and P genotypes, respectively. Nomenclature based on the genotype assignment to all 11 segments has been developed [9]
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