Publication
Opportunistic sampling of wild native and invasive birds reveals a rich diversity of adenoviruses in Australia
Publisher:
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date:
2020
DOI:
10.1093/VE/VEAA024
Abstract: Little is known about the ersity of adenoviruses in wild birds and how they have evolved and are maintained in complex ecosystems. In this study, 409 s les were collected from woodland birds caught for banding (droppings), birds submitted to a wildlife hospital (droppings and tissues), silver gulls (droppings or tissues), and feral pigeons (Columbia livia oral, cloacal swabs, or tissues) from the Greater Sydney area in NSW, Australia. Additional s les were from native pigeons and doves (swabs) presented to the Healesville Sanctuary, VIC, Australia. S les were screened for adenovirus DNA using degenerate primers and polymerase chain reaction. Adenovirus sequences were detected in eighty-three s les representing thirty-five novel amino acid sequences. Fourteen novel sequences were atadenoviruses, seven were aviadenoviruses, twelve were siadenoviruses, and one was a mastadenovirus. Sequences from passerine birds were predominately found to form a single lineage within the atadenoviruses, a second lineage in the siadenoviruses, and a third smaller aviadenovirus lineage. These viruses appeared to have co-evolved with a erse group of woodland birds that share similar habitat. Evidence for host/virus co-evolution in some viruses and a wide host range in others was observed. A high prevalence of adenovirus infection was found in rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus), galahs (Eolophus roseicapilla), and sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita). Sequences were either identical to or mapped to already established lineages in the Aviadenovirus, Siadenovirus, and Atadenovirus genera, suggesting a possible origin of the psittacine adenoviruses in ancestral Australian psittacine birds. The sequences of passerine and psittacine origin provided insight into ersity and structure of the Atadenovirus genus and demonstrated for the first-time viruses of passerine origin in the Aviadenovirus genus. Four unrelated adenovirus sequences were found in silver gull s les (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae), including one of pigeon origin, suggesting environmental virus exposure. Three pigeon adenovirus types were detected in feral pigeons and infection prevalence was high. Evidence for host switching between invasive species and native species and native species and invasive species was documented. A variant of a murine adenovirus was detected in kidney tissue from two bird species suggesting mouse to bird transmission.