Fecal Shedding of Bovine Astrovirus CH13/NeuroS1 in Veal Calves

Abstract

Specific astrovirus genotype species are associated with neurological disease and encephalitis in humans, mink, pigs, sheep, and cattle (1). In humans (2) and pigs (3), these encephalitis-associated astroviruses were also detected in fecal and/or nasopharyngeal samples, suggesting that the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts may serve as viral reservoirs. Two encephalitis-associated astroviruses have been identified in the central nervous system of neurologically diseased cattle, namely, bovine astrovirus (BoAstV)-CH13/NeuroS1 (4, 5) and BoAstV-CH15 (6). However, transmission routes and nonnervous target tissues for these astroviruses are mostly unknown. Here, we investigated whether BoAstV-CH13/NeuroS1 and BoAstV-CH15 are part of the respiratory and intestinal virome of veal calves.