RESUMO
Sonoran felids are threatened by drought and habitat fragmentation. Vector range expansion and anthropogenic factors such as habitat encroachment and climate change are altering viral evolutionary dynamics and exposure. However, little is known about the diversity of viruses present in these populations. Small felid populations with lower genetic diversity are likely to be most threatened with extinction by emerging diseases, as with other selective pressures, due to having less adaptive potential. We used a metagenomic approach to identify novel circoviruses, which may have a negative impact on the population viability, from confirmed bobcat (Lynx rufus) and puma (Puma concolor) scats collected in Sonora, Mexico. Given some circoviruses are known to cause disease in their hosts, such as porcine and avian circoviruses, we took a non-invasive approach using scat to identify circoviruses in free-roaming bobcats and puma. Three circovirus genomes were determined, and, based on the current species demarcation, they represent two novel species. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that one circovirus species is more closely related to rodent associated circoviruses and the other to bat associated circoviruses, sharing highest genome-wide pairwise identity of approximately 70% and 63%, respectively. At this time, it is unknown whether these scat-derived circoviruses infect felids, their prey, or another organism that might have had contact with the scat in the environment. Further studies should be conducted to elucidate the host of these viruses and assess health impacts in felids.
Assuntos
Circovirus/isolamento & purificação , Fezes/virologia , Lynx/virologia , Puma/virologia , Animais , Animais Selvagens/virologia , Circovirus/classificação , Circovirus/genética , Metagenômica , México , Filogenia , Análise de Sequência , SuínosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is an exogenous gammaretrovirus of domestic cats (Felis catus) and some wild felids. The outcomes of FeLV infection in domestic cats vary according to host susceptibility, virus strain, and infectious challenge dose. Jaguarundis (Puma yagouaroundi) are small wild felids from South and Central America. We previously reported on FeLV infections in jaguarundis. We hypothesized here that the outcomes of FeLV infection in P. yagouaroundi mimic those observed in domestic cats. The aim of this study was to investigate the population of jaguarundis at Fundação Parque Zoológico de São Paulo for natural FeLV infection and resulting outcomes. METHODS: We investigated the jaguarundis using serological and molecular methods and monitored them for FeLV-related diseases for 5 years. We retrieved relevant biological and clinical information for the entire population of 23 jaguarundis held at zoo. Post-mortem findings from necropsies were recorded and histopathological and immunohistopathological analyses were performed. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses were performed for FeLV-positive samples. For sample prevalence, 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Fisher's exact test was used to compare frequencies between infected and uninfected animals. P-values <0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: In total, we detected evidence of FeLV exposure in four out of 23 animals (17%; 95% CI 5-39%). No endogenous FeLV (enFeLV) sequences were detected. An intestinal B-cell lymphoma in one jaguarundi was not associated with FeLV. Two jaguarundis presented FeLV test results consistent with an abortive FeLV infection with seroconversion, and two other jaguarundis had results consistent with a progressive infection and potentially FeLV-associated clinical disorders and post-mortem changes. Phylogenetic analysis of env revealed the presence of FeLV-A, a common origin of the virus in both animals (100% identity) and the closest similarity to FeLV-FAIDS and FeLV-3281 (98.4% identity), originally isolated from cats in the USA. CONCLUSIONS: We found evidence of progressive and abortive FeLV infection outcomes in jaguarundis, and domestic cats were probably the source of infection in these jaguarundis.
Assuntos
Animais de Zoológico/virologia , Doenças do Gato/patologia , Doenças do Gato/virologia , Vírus da Leucemia Felina , Puma/virologia , Infecções por Retroviridae/veterinária , Infecções Tumorais por Vírus/veterinária , Animais , Brasil , Gatos , DNA Viral/análise , Feminino , Vírus da Leucemia Felina/classificação , Masculino , Filogenia , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase/veterinária , Provírus , RNA Viral/análise , Infecções por Retroviridae/patologia , Infecções por Retroviridae/virologia , Testes Sorológicos/veterinária , Infecções Tumorais por Vírus/patologia , Infecções Tumorais por Vírus/virologia , Carga Viral/veterináriaRESUMO
The Picobirnaviruses (PBVs) have been detected in several species of animals from different countries worldwide, including in South America. The host range of these viruses has increased in recent years; thus, in order to contribute to the knowledge in this topic we analyzed samples from captivity animals from Uruguay. We found the presence of PBVs in four species of animals, Panthera leo, Panthera onca, Puma concolor and Oncifelis geoffroyi, representing new PBV-susceptible hosts. All strains belonged to genogroup I.
Assuntos
Felidae/virologia , Especificidade de Hospedeiro , Picobirnavirus/isolamento & purificação , Animais , Genótipo , Panthera/virologia , Filogenia , Picobirnavirus/genética , Picobirnavirus/patogenicidade , Puma/virologia , UruguaiRESUMO
A total of 57 captive neotropical felids (one Leopardus geoffroyi, 14 Leopardus pardalis, 17 Leopardus wiedii, 22 Leopardus tigrinus, and three Puma yagouaroundi) from the Itaipu Binacional Wildlife Research Center (Refúgio Bela Vista, Southern Brazil) were anesthetized for blood collection. Feces samples were available for 44 animals, including one L. geoffroyi, eight L. pardalis, 14 L. wiedii, 20 L. tigrinus, and one P. yagouaroundi. Total DNA and RNA were extracted from blood and feces, respectively, using commercial kits. Blood DNA samples were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) proviral DNA, whereas reverse transcriptase-PCR was run on fecal samples for detection of coronavirus RNA. None of the samples were positive for coronaviruses. A male L. pardalis and a female L. tigrinus were positive for FeLV proviral DNA, and identities of PCR products were confirmed by sequencing. This is the first evidence of FeLV proviral DNA in these species in Southern Brazil.
Assuntos
Infecções por Coronavirus/veterinária , Felidae/virologia , Puma/virologia , Infecções por Retroviridae/veterinária , Infecções Tumorais por Vírus/veterinária , Animais , Animais Selvagens , Animais de Zoológico , Brasil/epidemiologia , Infecções por Coronavirus/diagnóstico , Infecções por Coronavirus/epidemiologia , Coronavirus Felino/isolamento & purificação , DNA Viral/química , DNA Viral/genética , Fezes/virologia , Feminino , Vírus da Leucemia Felina/isolamento & purificação , Masculino , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase/veterinária , Prevalência , Infecções por Retroviridae/diagnóstico , Infecções por Retroviridae/epidemiologia , Especificidade da Espécie , Infecções Tumorais por Vírus/diagnóstico , Infecções Tumorais por Vírus/epidemiologiaRESUMO
Serum samples from 18 pumas (Puma concolor), one ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), and two little spotted cats (Leopardus tigrinus) collected from free-ranging animals in Brazil between 1998 and 2004 were tested by indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) for antibodies to feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV 1), calicivirus (FCV), coronavirus (FCoV), parvo-virus (FPV), Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma pha-gocytophilum, and Bartonella henselae. Serum samples also were tested, by Western blot and ELISA, for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) specific antibodies and antigen, respectively, by Western blot for antibodies to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and by indirect ELISA for antibodies to puma lentivirus (PLV). Antibodies to FHV 1, FCV, FCoV, FPV, FeLV, FIV, PLV or related viruses, and to B. henselae were detected. Furthermore, high-titered antibodies to E. canis or a closely related agent were detected in a puma for the first time.