Detection of Porcine Circovirus 3 in Wildlife Species in Spain.

Porcine circovirus 3 (PCV-3) is the third member of the family , genus , able to infect swine. A high prevalence of viral DNA has been recorded in wild boars. Recently, PCV-3 DNA was identified in Italian wild ruminants. Based on these previous results, this study assessed the frequency of PCV-3 DNA detection in free-ranging ruminants and species in Spain. In addition, the genetic characterization of the PCV-3 PCR-positive samples was performed. A total of 801 serum samples, including red deer (; n = 108), roe deer (; n = 87), Pyrenean chamois (; n = 133), Iberian ibex (; n = 92), mouflon (; n = 91), fallow deer (; n = 104), European rabbit (; n = 101), and European hare (; n = 85) from Catalonia (northeast Spain) were tested by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and, when positive, sequenced. Overall, PCV-3 DNA was found in three out of 801 analyzed sera (0.37%) corresponding to one red deer (1/108, 0.9%), one mouflon (1/91, 1.1%), and one fallow deer (1/104, 0.96%). None of the samples collected from species resulted PCR positive. The partial genome sequences detected in positive samples displayed high identity with some PCV-3 sequences detected in wild boars and domestic pigs (99.7% and 100%, respectively). In conclusion, the present study indicated that free-ranging ruminant and species are not relevant in the epidemiology of PCV-3 in Spain.