https://dspace.piwet.pulawy.pl/xmlui/handle/123456789/6 artykuły z czasopism Sat, 04 Apr 2026 03:05:26 GMT 2026-04-04T03:05:26Z https://dspace.piwet.pulawy.pl/xmlui/handle/123456789/934 First detection of two novel malignant catarrhal fever-related gammaherpesviruses associated with sudden deaths of dorcas gazelles (Gazella Dorcas osiris) Larska, Magdalena; Socha, Wojciech; Kulik, Paweł; Paszta, Wojciech; Jarosz, Aleksandra; Grenda, Tomasz; Kycko, Anna Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a sporadic infectious disease of domesticated and non-domesticated ruminants including: cattle, sheep, bison, cervids, antelope and buffaloes, and is caused by gammaherpesviruses. Between March and May 2023, several cases of sudden death were observed in endangered species of dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas osiris) in zoological garden in southeastern Poland. Given the rapid course of disease, MCF was suspected. During the epizootic investigation, other ruminants that could be a source of infection and routes of spread were examined, also taking into account the possibility of air-born and via rodents transmission. In total, tissue, blood, nasal swab and fecal samples were collected from 52 animals kept in the zoo between March 2023 and August 2025. Samples came from 10 ruminants species: dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas), blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), lechwe (Kobus leche), Defassa waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa), Reeves’s muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi), Kirk’s dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii), gemsbok (Oryx gazella), Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia), mhorr gazelle (Nanger dama) and domestic goat (Capra hircus). Additionally, environmental swabs and tissue samples from rats (Rattus norvegicus) trapped at the premises were collected. To identify possible causes of dorcas mortality, samples were tested using PCRs specific to gammaherpesviruses followed by characterisation of strains based on DNA polymerase fragment sequences. Clostridium spp. was also investigated in the differential diagnosis. Results: In total 4 different strains of gammaherpesvirus were detected in 26.9% (14/52) of the tested ruminants, It was also established that the five gazelles with suspected MCF were infected with at least one of the two previously unknown gammaherpesviruses provisionally called: Gazelle dorcas gammaherpesvirus 1 and Gazelle dorcas gammaherpesvirus 2. Those viruses showed significant similarity to Rusa unicolor equina gammaherpesvirus later detected in asymptomatic dik-diks and Bovidae gammaherpesvirus 2 in healthy blackbucks, respectively. These viruses were not detected in newborn, nor in the two remaining dorcas survivors. Histopathological analysis showed changes that might be associated with MCF in kidneys, lungs and livers of two affected dorcas gazelles. C. perfringens type D co-infection was detected also in two adult dorcas which died suddenly. The same bacteria was also found in the feeder in one of the enclosures, suggestive of environmental contamination. Conclusion: This is the first description of two novel gammaherpesvirus, associated with fatal disease in dorcas gazelles. Additionally, our results showed possibility of transmission of those viruses between different Antilopinae species. While ranges of those species do not overlap in their natural habitat, our results could have potential implication for conservation strategies and initiatives for endangered species. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://dspace.piwet.pulawy.pl/xmlui/handle/123456789/934 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://dspace.piwet.pulawy.pl/xmlui/handle/123456789/933 Unveiling the global urban virome through wastewater metagenomics Worp, Nathalie; Nieuwenhuijse, David F.; Izquierdo-Lara, Ray W.; Schapendonk, Claudia M. E.; Brinch, Christian; Jensen, Emilie Egholm Bruun; Munk, Patrick; Hendriksen, Rene S.; Aarestrup, Frank; Oude Munnink, Bas B.; Koopmans, Marion P. G.; de Graaf, Miranda; Global Sewage Surveillance Consortium; Dariusz Wasyl Understanding global viral dynamics is critical for public health. Traditional surveillance focuses on individual pathogens and symptomatic cases, which may miss asymptomatic infections or newly emerging viruses, delaying detection and response. Wastewater-based epidemiology has been used to track pathogens through targeted molecular assays, but its reliance on pre- defined targets limits detection of the full viral spectrum. Here, we analyse longitudinal wastewater samples from 62 cities across six continents (2017–2019) using metagenomics and capture-based sequencing with probes targeting viruses associated with gastrointestinal disease. We detect over 2500 viral species spanning 122 families, many with human, animal, or plant health relevance. The bacteriophage family Microviridae and plant virus family Vir- gaviridae dominate the metagenomic dataset, while Astroviridae and Picor- naviridae prevail in the capture-based sequence dataset. Virus distributions are broadly similar across continents at the family and genus levels, yet distinct city-level fingerprints reveal geographical and temporal variation, enabling spatiotemporal surveillance of viruses such as astroviruses and enteroviruses. Global wastewater-based epidemiology enables early detection of emerging viruses, including Echovirus 30 in Europe and Tomato brown rugose fruit virus. These findings highlight the potential of wastewater sequencing for the early detection of emerging viruses and population-wide virome monitoring across diverse hosts. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://dspace.piwet.pulawy.pl/xmlui/handle/123456789/933 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://dspace.piwet.pulawy.pl/xmlui/handle/123456789/932 Genetic traits of IncK2 plasmids and the Escherichia coli host underlying the association to the chicken gut Rozwandowicz, Marta; AbuOun, Manal; Alba, Patricia; Anjum, Muna F.; Zając, Magdalena; Brouwer, Michael S.M.; Börjesson, Stefan; Caniça, Manuela; Carfora, Virginia; Diaconu, Elena L.; Doublet, Benoît; Gates, Daisy; Hammerl, Jens-Andre; Hasman, Henrik; Haverkamp, Thomas H.A.; Hendrickx, Antoni P.A.; Lindsjö, Oskar K.; Manageiro, Vera; Mo, Soleveig S.; Myrenås, Mattias; Rizzardi, Kristina; Slettemeås, Jannice Schau; Sunde, Marianne; van Duijkeren, Engeline; van Hoek, Angela H.A.M.; Veldman, Kees T.; Bomba, Arkadiusz; Nord, Emma; Ceyssens, Pieter- Jan; Hordijk, Joost This manuscript presents the phylogeny and conservation of IncK2 plasmids in Europe. It also provides insights into genetic traits responsible for IncK2 plasmids and its Escherichia coli host adaptation to the chicken gut. Fifty-eight E. coli isolates from nine European countries were sequenced using Illumina and Nanopore technology. Genetic analyses were performed to determine the relatedness of IncK2 plasmids and their E. coli hosts from poultry (80% of the total) and other sources. To analyse genetic traits associated with E. coli and IncK2 plasmid from chicken origin, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed. The phylogenetic analysis of IncK2 plasmids revealed conservation across sources and countries of isolation. GWAS revealed multiple genes associated with IncK2 plasmids or its E. coli host from chicken origin. The pre- dicted functions of these genes can indicate a selective advantage in the chicken gut, and that IncK2 plasmids are adapted to the physiological environment of the chicken gut Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://dspace.piwet.pulawy.pl/xmlui/handle/123456789/932 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://dspace.piwet.pulawy.pl/xmlui/handle/123456789/931 Comparative pathogenicity of a virulent field isolate and an NA S122N genetically modified H3N1 avian influenza virus in chickens Śmietanka, Krzysztof; Tarasiuk, Karolina; Kycko, Anna; Świętoń, Edyta; Wyrostek, Krzysztof; Lee, Hui Min; Digard, Paul; van der Vries, Erhard; de Wit, Sjaak Low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) are typically associated with subclinical or mild disease in poultry. However, recent outbreaks involving atypical LPAIV strains, including H3N1 strains like A/chicken/Belgium/460/2019, have demonstrated severe clinical outcomes despite low intravenous pathogenicity index (IVPI) scores. These findings challenge current classification systems and raise questions about alternative markers of virulence, such as loss of a neuraminidase (NA) glycosylation site linked to plasminogen-binding and haemagglutinin (HA) cleavage. This study compared the pathogenicity of a wild-type H3N1 strain (wtH3N1), isolated from a disease outbreak in Belgium, with a genetically modified, loss-of function variant (mH3N1) carrying a single amino acid substitution (S122N) in NA that blocks plasminogen-dependent cleavage of HA in chickens. Four-week-old pullets and cockerels, and 30-week-old laying hens were inoculated with either wtH3N1 or mH3N1 and clinical signs, egg production, viral replication, post-mortem and tissue pathology were evaluated. Adult hens infected with wtH3N1 showed a complete cessation of egg production, systemic viral replication, and histopathological lesions in the reproductive tract, brain, and kidneys. In contrast, birds infected with mH3N1 displayed only mild, transient reductions in egg production and minimal viral detection. No mortality was observed in any group. All young chickens exhibited subclinical infections. Overall, the S122N mutation significantly attenuated viral virulence and tissue tropism. The study provides functional evidence that position 122 on NA contributes to increased virulence in H3N1 AIV. These findings support the role of molecular markers in risk assessment of non-H5/H7 LPAIVs and highlight the limitations of the current IVPI-based classification system. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://dspace.piwet.pulawy.pl/xmlui/handle/123456789/931 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z