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Rapid Diagnosis of Avian Influenza Virus in Wild Birds: Use of a Portable rRT-PCR and Freeze-dried Reagents in the Field
Published on: August 2, 2011
Genetically diverse coronaviruses in captive bird populations in a Brazilian zoological park
Tereza C Cardoso1, Maria Cecília B Teixeira, Deriane E Gomes
1Laboratory of Animal Virology, UNESP, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo State, Araçatuba, Brazil. tcardoso@fmva.unesp.br
Abstract:
This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of coronaviruses (CoVs) in captive birds placed inside a zoological park in Brazil. The role of captive birds in the epidemiology of CoVs in the tropics is poorly understood. A total of 25 (n=25) different species were tested for viral RNA using individual fecal samples collected from healthy birds. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction targeting the 3' untranslated region was used to detect CoV RNA, and positive samples were submitted for sequence analysis. The phylogenetic search revealed nine mutations in the black shouldered peafowl (Pavus cristatus) CoV sequence, which clustered separately from samples previously described in England. This is the first report on the detection of the CoV genome in captive birds in Brazil.
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