Novel adenovirus associated with common tern (Sterna hirundo) chicks

Adenoviruses have been identified in a wide variety of avian species, and in some species, they have been shown to cause disease and increase mortality. As part of an endeavor to investigate viruses associated with common terns (Sterna hirundo), a novel adenovirus was identified in fecal samples from two common terns on Gull Island, Lake Ontario, Canada. The coding-complete genome sequence of the new adenovirus is 31,094 bp, containing 28 putative genes, and this is the first adenovirus to be associated with terns. The virus was identified in two out of 13 fecal samples from tern chicks, and it was found to be most closely related to duck adenovirus 1, with the DNA polymerase sharing 58% amino acid sequence identity. Phylogenetic analysis based on DNA polymerase protein sequences showed that the new virus forms a distinct sub-branch within the atadenovirus clade and likely represents a new species in this genus.