Novel viruses in threatened animal species from China

Abstract

Abstract of thesis entitled Novel viruses in threatened animal species from China Submitted by Kai Yan YEONG for the degree of Master of Philosophy at The University of Hong Kong in December, 2018

Threatened animal species are vulnerable animals needed to be protected with government’s strict policy on conservation and prevention methods with the help of global conservation organizations like International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Their health condition is crucial to maintain the diversity global ecosystem as well as to search for potential pathogenic viruses that can be harmful to both animal species and humans. This study is a metagenomics study on viromes of threatened animal species in China, involving 4 types of mammalian species which are Sichuan takin, giant panda, sambar deer and Indian hog deer. Among the specimens, Sichuan takins have the most diverse viromes. A total of 71 Sichuan takins were deep sequenced and analyzed which revealed a novel enteroviral and astroviral genomes, and contigs belonging to circoviruses and genogroup I picobirnaviruses. Genomic analysis revealed that Sichuan takin enterovirus is a new serotype/genotype of the species Enterovirus G and a recombinant product of caprine EV JL14 and ovine EV TB4-OEV. A novel subtype of bovine astrovirus was found, called Sichuan takin astrovirus, which may belong to a novel genogroup in the genus Mamastrovirus. Besides, a sick giant panda from an oceanarium had diarrhea and no causative agents were found after several microbial tests. Next generation sequencing analyses revealed that there were an abundant picornaviral reads and are assembled into a new strain of “Ailurivirus”, Ailurivirus strain LLT02 but none were found in healthy giant pandas. The data was unable to correlate with the previous studies which demonstrated that the dead wild giant panda had more picornaviral reads than healthy captive giant panda. Nevertheless, ailuriviruses may be opportunistic pathogen in giant pandas since the sick giant panda is old with deteriorating immune system. Sambar deers and Indian hog deers revealed less mammalian viral diversity with contigs belonged to Picobirnaviridae and Circoviridae. Future studies shall reveal whether these new viruses are present in other mammals and their pathogenicity.

An abstract of exactly 343 words