Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Detection and molecular characterization of astroviruses in turkeys

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Archives of Virology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and molecular characteristics of turkey astrovirus 1 (TAstV-1) and avian nephritis virus (ANV) in turkeys with light turkey syndrome (LTS), which is characterized by lower body weight in market-age turkeys than their standard breed character. We collected pools of fecal samples from four LTS and two non-LTS turkey flocks in Minnesota at 2, 3, 5 and 8 weeks of age. Of the 80 LTS pools tested, 16 (20.0 %) and 11 (13.8 %) were positive for TAstV-1 and ANV, respectively. For non-LTS flocks, these numbers were 8 (20.0 %) and 5 (12.5 %), respectively. The maximum number of birds was positive at five weeks of age. We also tested 130 fecal samples of poult enteritis syndrome (PES) cases submitted to the Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and found 19 and 11 positive for TAstV-1 and ANV, respectively. RdRp gene sequences were determined for a total of 29 TAstV-1 and 22 ANV samples. Phylogenetic analysis of the RdRp gene revealed 92-100 % and 88-100 % nucleotide sequence identity among TAstV-1 and ANV sequences, respectively. A large number of nucleotide and amino acid substitutions were observed in LTS and PES flocks than in non-LTS flocks. One of the PES sequences grouped with ANV-like sequences detected in chickens, indicating that regular screening of birds should be continued. Further, complete genome analysis should be conducted to determine whether this virus is a novel divergent strain or a recombinant of chicken and turkey ANV-like viruses. The detection of TAstV-1 and ANV in a considerable number of non-LTS cases emphasizes the need for further studies on the transmission pattern and pathogenesis of these viruses to determine their role as pathogens of turkeys.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Asplin FD (1965) Duck hepatitis. Vet Rec 77:487–488

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Bidin M, Majnaric D, Bidin Z, Lojkic I (2013) Genetic characterization of turkey astroviruses identified in Croatian poultry flocks. Veterinarski Archiv 83(1):57–67

    Google Scholar 

  3. Baxendale W, Mebatsion T (2004) The isolation and characterization of astroviruses from chickens. Avian Pathol 33:364–370

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Calvert AJ, Noll SL, Goyal SM, Chander Y, Logue CM, Sherwood JS, Johnson TJ, Nagaraja KV, Ziegler AF (2011) Preliminary studies in light turkey syndrome. Abstract of the 72nd Minnesota nutrition conference, Owatonna, pp 67–68

  5. Cattoli G, De Battisti C, Toffan A, Salviato A, Lavazza A, Cerioli M, Capua I (2007) Co-circulation of distinct genetic lineages of astroviruses in turkeys and guinea fowl. Arch Virol 152:595–602

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. de Wit JJ, Dam GB, de Laar JM, Biermann Y, Verstegen I, Edens F, Schrier CC (2011) Detection and characterization of a new astrovirus in chicken and turkeys with enteric and locomotion problems. Avian Pathol 40:453–461

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Domanska-Blicharz K, Seroka A, Minta Z (2011) One-year molecular survey of astrovirus infection in turkeys in Poland. Arch Virol 156:1065–1072

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Domanska-Blicharz K, Seroka A, Minta Z (2014) Astroviruses in Polish commercial turkey farms in 2009–2012. Avian Dis 58(1):158–164

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Imada T, Yamaguchi S, Mase M, Tsukamoto K, Kubo M, Morooka A (2000) Avian nephritis virus (ANV) as a new member of the family astroviridae and construction of infectious ANV cDNA. J Virol 74:8487–8493

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Jindal N, Chander Y, Patnayak DP, Mor SK, Ziegler AF, Goyal SM (2012) A multiplex RT-PCR for the detection of astrovirus, rotavirus, and reovirus in turkeys. Avian Dis 56(3):592–596

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Jindal N, Mor SK, Goyal SM (2014) Enteric viruses in turkey enteritis. Virus Dis 25(2):173–185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Jindal N, Patnayak DP, Chander Y, Ziegler AF, Goyal SM (2010) Detection and molecular characterization of enteric viruses from poult enteritis syndrome in turkeys. Poult Sci 89:217–226

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Koci MD, Seal BS, Schultz-Cherry S (2000) Molecular characterization of an avian astrovirus. J Virol 74:6173–6177

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. McNulty MS, Allan GM, Todd D, McFerran JB, McKillop ER, Collins DS, McCracken RM (1980) Isolation of rotaviruses from turkeys and chickens: demonstration of distinct serotypes and RNA electropherotypes. Avian Pathol 9:363–375

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Mor SK, Abin M, Costa G, Durrani A, Jindal N, Goyal SM, Patnayak DP (2011) The role of type-2 turkey astrovirus in poult enteritis syndrome. Poult Sci 90:2747–2752

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Mor SK, SharafeldinTA Abin M, Kromm M, Porter RE, Goyal SM, Patnayak DP (2013) The occurrence of enteric viruses in light turkey syndrome. Avian Pathol 42(5):497–501

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Moura-Alvarez J, Chacon L, Scanavini L, Nunez L, Astolfi-Ferreira C, Jones R, Piantino-Ferreira A (2013) Enteric viruses in Brazilian turkey flocks: single and multiple virus infection frequency according to age and clinical signs of intestinal disease. Poult Sci 92:945–955

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Pantin-Jackwood MJ, Day JM, Jackwood MW, Spackman E (2008) Enteric viruses detected by molecular methods in commercial chicken and turkey flocks in the United States between 2005 and 2006. Avian Dis 52:235–244

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Pantin-Jackwood MJ, Spackman E, Day JM, Rives D (2007) Periodic monitoring of commercial turkeys for enteric viruses indicates continuous presence of astrovirus and rotavirus on the farms. Avian Dis 51:674–680

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Pantin-Jackwood MJ, Spackman E, Woolcock PR (2006) Molecular characterization and typing of chicken and turkey astroviruses circulating in the United States: implication for diagnostics. Avian Dis 50:397–404

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Pantin-Jackwood MJ, Spackman E, Woolcock PR (2006) Phylogenetic analysis of turkey astroviruses reveals evidence of recombination. Virus Genes 32:187–192

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Pantin-Jackwood MJ, Strother KO, Mundt E, Zsak L, Day JM, Spackman E (2011) Molecular characterization of avian astroviruses. Arch Virol 156:235–244

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Shirai J, Nakamura K, Shinohara K, Kawamura H (1991) Pathogenicity and antigenicity of avian nephritis isolates. Avian Dis 35:49–54

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Smyth VJ, Jewhurst HL, Adair BM, Todd D (2009) Detection of chicken astrovirus by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Avian Pathol 38:293–299

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Spackman E, Day JM, Pantin-Jackwood MJ (2010) Astrovirus, reovirus, and rotavirus concomitant infection causes decreased weight gain in broad-breasted white poults. Avian Dis 54:16–21

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Schultz-Cherry S, Kapczynski DR, Simmons VM, Koci MD, Brown C, Barnes HJ (2000) Identifying agent(s) associated with poult enteric mortality syndrome: importance of the thymus. Avian Dis 44:256–265

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Strain E, Kelley LA, Schultz-Cherry S, Muse SV, Koci MD (2008) Genomic analysis of closely related astroviruses. J Virol 82:5099–5103

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Todd D, Smyth VJ, Ball NW, Donnelly BM, Wylie M, Knowles NJ, Adair BM (2009) Identification of chicken enterovirus-like viruses, duck hepatitis virus type 2 and duck hepatitis virus type 3 as astroviruses. Avian Pathol 38:21–30

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Willcocks MM, Kurtz JB, Lee TW, Carter MJ (1995) Prevalence of human astrovirus serotype 4: capsid protein sequence and comparison with other strains. Epidemiol Infect 114:385–391

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Yamaguchi S, Imada T, Kawamura H (1979) Characterization of a picornavirus isolated from broiler chicks. Avian Dis 23:571–581

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Zhao W, Zhu AL, Yuan CL, Yu Y, Zhu CX, Lan DL, Yang ZB, Cui L, Hua XG (2011) Detection of astrovirus infection in pigeons (Columbia livia) during an outbreak of diarrhea. Avian Pathol 40(4):361–365

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Wendy Wiese, Lotus Somolson and Nick Wesche for technical assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Population Medicine and Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Minnesota, 1333 Gortner Ave, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

    Azad Singh, Sunil K. Mor, Naresh Jindal, Devi Patnayak, Nader M. Sobhy, Nhungoc Ti Luong & Sagar M. Goyal

Authors
  1. Azad Singh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sunil K. Mor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Naresh Jindal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Devi Patnayak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Nader M. Sobhy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Nhungoc Ti Luong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Sagar M. Goyal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sagar M. Goyal.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 30 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Singh, A., Mor, S.K., Jindal, N. et al. Detection and molecular characterization of astroviruses in turkeys. Arch Virol 161, 939–946 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-016-2753-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-016-2753-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation