Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2022
Identification and molecular characterization of highly divergent RNA viruses in cattle, Uganda
Balinandi, Stephen; Hayer, Juliette; Cholleti, Harindranath; Wille, Michelle; Lutwama, Julius J.; Malmberg, Maja; Mugisha, LawrenceAbstract
The risk for the emergence of novel viral zoonotic diseases in animals and humans in Uganda is high given its geographical location with high biodiversity. We aimed to identify and characterize viruses in 175 blood samples from cattle selected in Uganda using molecular approaches. We identified 8 viral species belonging to 4 families (Flaviviridae, Peribunyaviridae, Reoviridae and Rhabdoviridae) and 6 genera (Hepacivirus, Pestivirus, Orthobunya-virus, Coltivirus, Dinovernavirus and Ephemerovirus). Four viruses were highly divergent and tetantively named Zikole virus (Family: Flaviviridae), Zeboroti virus (Family: Reoviridae), Zebtine virus (Family: Rhabdoviridae) and Kokolu virus (Family: Rhabdoviridae). In addition, Bovine Hepacivirus, Obodhiang virus, Aedes pseudoscutellaris reovirus and Schmallenberg virus were identified for the first time in Ugandan cattle. We report 8 viral species belonging to 4 viral families including divergent ones in the blood of cattle in Uganda. Hence, cattle may be reservoir hosts for likely emergence of novel viruses with pathogenic potential to cause zoonotic diseases in different species with serious public health implications.Keywords
Cattle; Zoonoses; pan-PCR; Metagenomics; RNA virus; UgandaPublished in
Virus Research2022, volume: 313, article number: 198739
Publisher: ELSEVIER
Authors' information
Balinandi, Stephen
Makerere University
Balinandi, Stephen
Uganda Virus Research Institute
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biomedical Science and Veterinary Public Health
Wille, Michelle
University of Melbourne
Wille, Michelle
University of Sydney
Lutwama, Julius J.
Uganda Virus Research Institute
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biomedical Science and Veterinary Public Health
Mugisha, Lawrence
Makerere University
UKÄ Subject classification
Microbiology in the medical area
Publication Identifiers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virusres.2022.198739
URI (permanent link to this page)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/117049