First molecular detection and genotyping of Psittacid herpesvirus 1 from pet parrot in Korea

초록

To identify the causes of sudden death in pet parrots in this study, molecular screening was carried out to detect major psittacine viral pathogens including Psittacine beak and feather disease virus (PBFDV), Avian bornavirus (ABV), Psittacid herpesvirus 1 (PsHV-1), Avian polyomavirus, and Avian paramyxovirus serotype 1. The results showed that all six parrots were infected with PBFDV, indicating that PBFDV was likely the main cause of their deaths. Among these PBFDV-positive parrots, three were dually coinfected with PBFDV and ABV and one was triply coinfected with PBFDV, ABV and PsHV-1, indicating two viruses (ABV and PsHV-1) may also contribute to fatal outcomes of parrots. In Korea, there have been reports on the genetic characterization of PBFDV and APyV, but no reports on PsHV-1. Therefore, to further characterize PsHV-1 detected from a rosella parakeet, the partial UL16 gene was sequenced and compared with those of the reference PsHV-1 strains retrieved from the GenBank database. The Korean PsHV-1 (KPsHV-1 strain) was closely related to the genotype 1 PsHV-1 strain reported in the USA showing 100% nucleotide identity. Phylogenetic analysis based on the partial UL16 gene indicated that the KPsHV-1 strain was clustered into the genotype 1 group, which supported that genotype 1 PsHV-1 was introduced in Korea. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report identifying the genotype of the PsHV-1 strain in Korean parrots. These findings contribute to our understanding of the epidemiology of psittacine viruses and the genetic characteristics of PsHV-1 among pet parrots in Korea. Further studies are needed to understand the epidemiology and genetic characteristics of psittacine viruses and to develop effective control measures for these viral infections in pet parrots.

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