Research note: The spatiotemporal patterns of goose astrovirus in China.

Abstract

Goose astrovirus (GoAstV), a persistent threat to China's poultry industry for over a decade, causing substantial economic losses due to its high morbidity and mortality rates. Despite epidemiological studies identifying two dominant genotypes (GoAstV-1 and GoAstV-2), gaps persist in understanding its molecular evolution and spatiotemporal dynamics. Here, we conducted a systematic analysis of 112 publicly available and in-house GoAstV genomes isolated across different provinces of China from 2014 to 2024. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the co-circulation of both genotypes, with GoAstV-2 dominating in prevalence while GoAstV-1 exhibited sustained low-level circulating across multiple provinces. Notably, the lack of spatiotemporal clustering in phylogenetic trees-coupled with conserved genome architecture-implies stable, interconnected viral reservoirs rather than localized outbreaks. This evolutionary stability likely reflects sustained transmission efficacy in susceptible hosts, potentially facilitated by cryptic pathways such as migratory bird movements or poultry trade. Our findings highlight the feasibility of developing broad-spectrum vaccines or antivirals targeting conserved replication machinery (ORF1a/ORF1b) or capsid proteins (ORF2), offering a unified strategy to mitigate outbreaks driven by this genetically stable virus.