Bovine Astrovirus Surveillance in Uruguay Reveals High Detection Rate of a NovelSpecies.

Abstract

Viral infections affecting cattle lead to economic losses to the livestock industry worldwide, but little is known about the circulation, pathogenicity and genetic diversity of enteric bovine astrovirus (BoAstV) in America. The aim of this work was to describe the prevalence and genetic diversity of enteric BoAstV in dairy cattle in Uruguay. A total of 457 fecal and 43 intestinal contents from dairy calves were collected between July 2015 and May 2017 and tested by RT-PCR, followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analyses of the polymerase and capsid regions. Twenty-six percent (128/500) of the samples were positive. Three different species within thegenus were identified, including,(3 samples each) and an unclassifiedspecies (19 samples). The unclassified species was characterized as a novelspecies. BoAstV circulates in Uruguayan dairy cattle with a high genetic diversity. The eventual clinicopathological significance of enteric BoAstV infection in cattle needs further investigation.