Avihepadnavirus diversity in parrots is comparable to that found amongst all other avian species
Date
2013Author
Piasecki, Tomasz
Harkins, Gordon William
Chrzastek, Klaudia
Julian, Laurel
Martin, Darren Patrick
Varsani, Arvind
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Avihepadna viruses have previously been isolated from various species of duck ,goose, stork, heron and
crane. Recently the first parrot avihepadna virus was isolated from a Ring-necked Parakeet in Poland. In
this study, 41 psittacineliver samples archived in Poland over the last nine years were tested for
presence of Parrot hepatitis B virus(PHBV). We cloned and sequenced PHBVisolates from 18 birds
including a Crimson Rosella, an African grey parrot and sixteen Ring-necked Parakeets. PHBVisolates
display a degree of diversity (478% genome wide pair wise identity) that is comparable to that found
amongst all other avihepadna viruses (479% genome wide pair wise identity). The PHBV viruses can be
subdivided into seven genetically distinct groups (tentatively named A-G) of which the two isolated of
PHBV-Gare the most divergent sharing 79% genome wide pair wise identity with all their PHBVs. All
PHBV isolates display classical avihepadnavirus genome architecture.