Molecular surveillance of gamma coronaviruses in pigeon flocks, Tehran province, 2014-2015

Authors

1 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of Research and Production of Poultry Viral Vaccines, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Karaj, Iran

4 Iranian Veterinary Organization, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Coronaviruses have a wide range of host tropism causing respiratory, enteric and central nervous system diseases in pigs, cats, dogs, rodents, cattle, avian species and human. Coronaviruses undergo genetic mutations and recombination at high rates which make them able to infect a wide range of host species from different geographical locations. According to the possible existence of gammacoronavirus in Iranian bird population including pigeons and lack of information about virus prevalence, isolation and molecular characterization of pigeon coronaviruses are needed. OBJECTIVES: The present study was conducted to detect avian coronavirus in flocks of Tehran province.               METHODS: samples were randomly collected from 25 pigeon flocks of Tehran province (250 tracheal swabs and 250 cloacal swabs, 20 specimens from each flock) between 2014-2015. The viral RNA was extracted from swab samples and RT-PCR reaction was run using the QIAGEN one-step RT-PCR Kit with primers targeting nucleocapsid (N) gene and 3’ untranslated region (3’-UTR) of gammacoronavirus. RESULTS: Gammacoronavirus was detected in one out of 25 (4%) flocks. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study approve the presence of  gammacoronaviruses  in pigeon population and help to complete the map of  epidemiology of the virus in Iran. According to the low prevalence rate of coronavirus in pigeons, samples should be collected from pigeons showing respiratory or enteric signs of disease or from pigeons having contact with other birds or those which are housed near poultry farms.

Keywords

References

Brian, D.A., Baric, R. (2005) Coronavirus Genome Structure and Replication Coronavirus Replication and Reverse Genetics. Springer Ltd. London, UK.
Cavanagh, D. (2005) Coronaviruses in poultry and other birds. Avian Pathology. 34: 439-448.
Felippe, P., da Silva, L., Santos, M., Spilki, F.,  Arns, C. (2010) Genetic diversity of avian infectious bronchitis virus isolated from domestic chicken flocks and coronaviruses from feral pigeons in Brazil between 2003 and 2009. Avian Diseases. 54: 1191-1196.
Ghalyanchi Langeroudi, A., Hossein, H., Karimi, V., Madadgar, O., Hashemzadeh, M., Ghafouri, S.A., Bagheri, S.S., Vahedi, S.M. (2014) Phylogenetic study based on the phosphoprotein gene of Iranian Newcastle disease viruses (NDV) isolates, 2010-2012. Iranian Journal of Veterinary Medicine. 8: 73-77.
Jonassen, C.M., Kofstad, T., Larsen, I.-L., Løvland, A., Handeland, K., Follestad, A., Lillehaug, A. (2005) Molecular identification and characterization of novel coronaviruses infecting graylag geese (Anser anser), feral pigeons (Columbia livia) and mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). Journal of General Virology. 86: 1597-1607.
Loa, C., Lin, T., Wu, C., Bryan, T., Hooper, T., Schrader, D. (2006) Differential detection of turkey coronavirus, infectious bronchitis virus, and bovine coronavirus by a multiplex polymerase chain reaction. J Virol Methods. 131: 86-91.
Madadgar, O., Karimi, V., Nazaktabar, A., Kazemimanesh, M., Ghafari, M. M., Azimi Dezfouli, S.M., Hojjati, P. (2013) A study of Newcastle disease virus obtained from exotic caged birds in Tehran between 2009 and 2010. Avian Pathol. 42: 27-31.
Mahzounieh, M., Heidari Khoei, H., Ghasemi Shamsabadi, M., Dastjerdi, A. (2014) Detection and phylogenetic characterization of Columbid circoviruses in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province, Iran. Avian Pathology. 43: 524-528.
Moura-Alvarez, J. (2014) Detection of enteric pathogens in Turkey flocks affected with severe enteritis, in Brazil. Tropical Animal Health and Production. 46: 1051-1058.
Qian, D.H., Zhu, G.J., Wu, L.Z., Hua, G.X. (2006) Isolation and characterization of a coronavirus from pigeons with pancreatitis. American Journal of Veterinary Research. 67: 1575-1579.
Woo, P.C., Lau, S.K., Lam, C.S., Lau, C.C., Tsang, A.K., Lau, J.H., Bai, R., Teng, J.L., Tsang, C.C., Wang, M., Zheng, B.J., Chan, K. H., Yuen, K.Y. (2012) Discovery of seven novel Mammalian and avian coronaviruses in the genus deltacoronavirus supports bat coronaviruses as the gene source of alphacoronavirus and betacoronavirus and avian coronaviruses as the gene source of gammacoronavirus and deltacoronavirus. J Virol. 86: 3995-4008.

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics