Identification of a Bisegmented Double-stranded RNA Virus (Picobirnavirus) in Faeces of Giant Anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)

Abstract

Giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), which inhabit the neotropical region of Central and South America, belong to the family Myrmecophagidae and to the order Xenarthra or Edentata, along with armadillos and sloths. Little information is available concerning biological and pathological conditions in this species (Ellis & Ellis 1988; Diniz et al., 1995). The major health problems found in giant (M. tridactyla) and lesser anteaters (Tamandua tetradactyla) in captivity involve the digestive system (26%) and nutritional disorders (20%). The main enteric pathogens found were nematodes (40%), protozoa (16%) and bacteria (9%). The identification of enteric viruses was not carried out (Diniz et al., 1995). Enteric viruses such as rotaviruses are a common cause of gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhoea. A novel virus, tentatively named picobirnavirus (PBV), was identified in epidemiological studies of the presence of rotaviruses in human faeces (Pereira et al., 1988a) by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). These viruses have been described in the faeces of rats (Pereira et al., 1988b), guinea pigs (Pereira et al., 1989), pigs (Gatti et al., 1989; Chasey, 1990; Ludert et al., 1991; Pongsuwanna et al., 1996), chickens (Leite et al.,