Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, 177 Hyeoksin 8-ro, Gimcheon-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, 39660, Republic of Korea.
Virol J. 2020 Apr 15;17(1):53. doi: 10.1186/s12985-020-01307-z.
Runting-stunting syndrome (RSS) in chickens, also known as malabsorption syndrome, which is characterized by mild to severe enteritis and diagnosed through typical histopathologic examination as well as clinical signs, results in considerable economic losses. Despite the many studies carried out over decades to determine the etiologic agents of RSS involved in the disease, several outbreaks remained without the elucidation of, potentially multiple, etiologies involved.
We performed comparative analysis of viral metagenomes from four chicken flocks affected with RSS using next-generation sequencing. Primers for the detection of chicken enteric viruses were designed from the sequencing data obtained with metagenomics. Multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR were performed to detect a variety of etiological agents previously described in natural cases of RSS.
The most abundant viral families identified in this study were Astroviridae, Picornaviridae, Parvoviridae, Caliciviridae, Reoviridae and Picobirnaviridae. Chicken astrovirus sequences were present in all four samples, suggesting an association between chicken astrovirus and RSS and chicken astrovirus as a candidate pathogen responsible for RSS. Picobirnavirus and the newly identified chapparvovirus were found in chickens in the Republic of Korea for the first time, and the genetic diversity of enteric viruses and viral communities was showed.
Chicken astrovirus was consistently detected in broilers affected with RSS and the result of this study may contribute to knowledge of enteric diseases and viruses in chickens.
鸡矮小综合征（RSS），又称吸收不良综合征，其特征为轻度至重度肠炎，并通过典型的组织病理学检查以及临床症状进行诊断，可导致严重的经济损失。尽管数十年来，人们进行了许多研究以确定 RSS 中涉及该病的病原体，但仍有几起暴发事件无法确定潜在的多种病因。
我们使用下一代测序对四群受 RSS 影响的鸡的病毒宏基因组进行了比较分析。从宏基因组获得的测序数据中设计了用于检测鸡肠道病毒的引物。进行了多重逆转录-聚合酶链反应（PCR）和 PCR，以检测先前在 RSS 自然病例中描述的多种病因。
本研究中鉴定出的最丰富的病毒科为星状病毒科、小核糖核酸病毒科、细小病毒科、杯状病毒科、呼肠孤病毒科和微小 RNA 病毒科。鸡星状病毒序列存在于所有四个样本中，提示鸡星状病毒与 RSS 之间存在关联，并且鸡星状病毒可能是 RSS 的候选病原体。在韩国，首次在鸡中发现了微小 RNA 病毒和新鉴定的 Chapparvovirus，并且显示了肠病毒和病毒群落的遗传多样性。
在受 RSS 影响的肉鸡中始终检测到鸡星状病毒，本研究的结果可能有助于了解鸡的肠道疾病和病毒。
