Dong Yonggang, Fan Sitong, He Shunfu, Zhao Wenxin, Lancuo Zhuoma, Sharshov Kirill, Li Ying, Wang Wen
State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016, Qinghai, China.
College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining, 810016, Qinghai, China.
Virus Genes. 2025 Aug 23. doi: 10.1007/s11262-025-02182-y.
Birds have historically served as key vectors for viruses causing significant diseases. Corvid birds, often living in close proximity to livestock, poultry, and humans, provide substantial opportunities for cross-species viral transmission. Such transmission can occur through their feces or via ectoparasites (such as ticks, mites, and fleas) on their bodies, thereby releasing viruses into the environment. Despite the development of viral metagenomics, an increasing number of RNA viruses are being characterized across different species. RNA viruses in birds' gut microbial communities remain poorly studied. Here we report an extensive analysis of an RNA virome in fecal samples from Large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) and Northern Ravens (Corvus corax), both of which are common Corvus species found in the high-altitude forest and grassland regions of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. This study aims to assess the RNA viruses present in the intestines of these corvids and provides the first comprehensive characterization of the diversity of gut-colonizing viruses in these two crow species.
从历史上看，鸟类一直是引发重大疾病的病毒的关键传播媒介。鸦科鸟类常常与家畜、家禽和人类生活在近距离范围内，为跨物种病毒传播提供了大量机会。这种传播可以通过它们的粪便或其身体上的外寄生虫（如蜱、螨和跳蚤）发生，从而将病毒释放到环境中。尽管病毒宏基因组学有所发展，但越来越多的RNA病毒在不同物种中得到鉴定。鸟类肠道微生物群落中的RNA病毒仍研究不足。在此，我们报告了对大嘴乌鸦（Corvus macrorhynchos）和渡鸦（Corvus corax）粪便样本中RNA病毒组的广泛分析，这两种都是在青藏高原高海拔森林和草原地区常见的鸦科物种。本研究旨在评估这些鸦科动物肠道中存在的RNA病毒，并首次全面描述这两种乌鸦肠道定植病毒的多样性。
