Prevalence and Genetic Diversity of Human Sapoviruses in Shellfish from Commercial Production Areas in Galicia, Spain

ABSTRACTThe prevalence of human forms ofSapovirus, an emerging pathogen of human gastroenteritis, was investigated in an 18-month survey from class B mollusc-harvesting areas in two Galician rias (northwest Spain). The detection and quantification ofSapoviruswas performed by reverse transcription-real-time PCR, according to the recently developed standard method ISO/TS 15216-1:2013, and genotyping by reverse transcription-nested PCR. The bivalve species studied were wild and cultured mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis), clams (Venerupis philippinarumandVenerupis decussata), and cockles (Cerastoderma edule).Sapoviruswas detected in 30 out of 168 samples (17.9%), with cockles being the species with the highest prevalence of positives (28.1%), followed by clams (22.6%), wild mussels (14.3%), and cultured mussels (12.9%). The estuary in the south of the region demonstrated a higher percentage of positive samples (21.8%) than the one in the north (14.4%). Viral contamination levels for the positive samples ranged between 1.9 × 103and 1.4 × 105RNA copies/g of digestive tissue. ThirteenSapovirussequences could be obtained based on partial capsid gene sequence and were classified into four genotypes: GI.1 (2 samples), GI.2 (8 samples), GIV.1 (2 samples), and GV.1 (1 sample).

Molecular characterization of a porcine sapovirus strain isolated from a piglet with diarrhoea: a case report

Porcine sapoviruses, members of the family Caliciviridae, have been considered as an aetiological agent of gastroenteritis in pigs. In this study, we analysed 251 faecal samples obtained from 3 to 90 day-old diarrhoeic pigs in the Czech Republic between January 2005 and June 2010 and tested them by negative staining electron microscopy for the presence of sapoviruses. Only one sample showed the presence of viral particles with characteristic sapovirus morphology. The presence of sapovirus (SaV) was confirmed by an RT-PCR assay with primers specific for the sapoviral RNA polymerase and capsid genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on a partial sequence of the RNA polymerase gene placed the new Czech isolate into the GVII genogroup of porcine sapoviruses; however, analysis of a portion of the capsid gene sequence classified the isolate as GIII of the genus Sapovirus. These contradictory findings indicate that recombinant porcine sapovirus was identified. According to our knowledge this is the first description of porcine sapovirus in domestic pigs in the Czech Republic

Sequencing of New Zealands tomato spotted wilt virus isolates

The capsid protein genes of thirteen isolates of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) (Tospovirus) occurring in New Zealand have been sequenced TSWV is a thripsvectored virus causing serious damage in field and covered crops With recent new incursions of thrips species and tospoviruses it was considered of interest to identify what if any sequence variation occurs in the New Zealand TSWV isolates both from a temporal and geographic perspective The material chosen for sequencing was sourced from fresh glasshouse and field samples and also from samples that had been stored frozen for several years The oldest TSWV isolate was collected in 1992 and stored frozen since then and the most recently collected was from fresh material in 2008 Samples were obtained from several geographic locations throughout New Zealand When compared to the worldwide TSWV capsid gene sequence data held in GenBank cluster analysis of the sequence data has placed the New Zealand isolates into distinct groups Observations of the most closely related strains on a global scale may provide clues to the country of origin from which historic TSWV incursions into New Zealand originated