Vanmechelen Bert, Vergote Valentijn, Merino Michelle, Verbeken Erik, Maes Piet
Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, Box 1040, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
Laboratory of Translational Cell and Tissue Research, Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven-University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, Box 7003 24, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
Sci Rep. 2020 Nov 9;10(1):19341. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-76419-1.
Common or European hedgehogs can be found throughout Western Europe. They are known carriers of a variety of parasitic and bacterial pathogens, and have also been shown to carry several viruses, including morbilli-like paramyxoviruses, although the pathogenic and zoonotic potential of some of these viruses has yet to be determined. We report here the discovery of a novel paramyxovirus in Belgian hedgehogs, named Belerina virus. The virus was detected by nanopore sequencing of RNA isolated from hedgehog tissue. Out of 147 animals screened in this study, 57 tested positive for Belerina virus (39%), indicating a high prevalence of this virus in the Belgian hedgehog population. Based on its divergence from other known paramyxovirus species, Belerina virus is thought to represent a new species in the family Paramyxoviridae. Phylogenetic analysis groups Belerina virus together with the bat-borne Shaan virus within the genus Jeilongvirus, although expanding the tree with partial genomes shows Belerina virus forming a separate subclade within this genus, alongside a yet-unnamed paramyxovirus isolated from a greater tube-nosed bat. In summary, we discuss the complete genome sequence of Belerina virus, a putative new paramyxovirus species commonly found in Belgian hedgehogs.
普通刺猬或欧洲刺猬在整个西欧都有分布。它们是多种寄生虫和细菌病原体的已知携带者，还被证明携带多种病毒，包括麻疹样副粘病毒，不过其中一些病毒的致病潜力和人畜共患病潜力尚未确定。我们在此报告在比利时刺猬中发现了一种新型副粘病毒，名为贝勒里纳病毒。该病毒是通过对从刺猬组织中分离的RNA进行纳米孔测序检测到的。在本研究筛查的147只动物中，有57只贝勒里纳病毒检测呈阳性（39%），表明该病毒在比利时刺猬种群中的流行率很高。基于其与其他已知副粘病毒物种的差异，贝勒里纳病毒被认为代表副粘病毒科中的一个新物种。系统发育分析将贝勒里纳病毒与蝙蝠传播的陕西病毒归为杰龙病毒属，但用部分基因组扩展该树状图显示，贝勒里纳病毒在该属内形成一个单独的分支，与从大管鼻蝠分离出的一种尚未命名的副粘病毒并列。总之，我们讨论了贝勒里纳病毒的完整基因组序列，这是一种在比利时刺猬中常见的假定新型副粘病毒物种。
