Diversity of gammacoronaviruses and deltacoronaviruses in wild birds and poultry in Russia

Abstract

Coronaviruses of the genera Gammacoronavirus and Deltacoronavirus are globally widespread and circulate primarily in wild and domestic birds. Prior studies have established frequently occurring crossover events from avian to mammalian reservoirs. However, there is limited understanding of the diversity and geographical distribution of coronaviruses among birds. In this study, the surveillance of coronaviruses in birds in Russia during 2020 revealed the presence of coronaviruses in 12% of samples from birds. Targeted NGS approach was used for the evaluation of genetic diversity based on RdRp gene. While gammacoronviruses were found in both wild birds and poultry, deltacoronaviruses were found in wild birds only and represent the first detections for Russia. A number of cases with the simultaneous detection of gamma- and deltacoronaviruses in one bird was reported. The results of this study highlight the importance of further research concerning the spread and diversity of coronaviruses among birds within and migrating throughout the territory of Russia across the globe.