Zhihai SHI, Wenjia WANG, Yali LAN, Mengmeng ZHAO, Zhaoxue XU

Detection and Molecular Characterization of BCoVs Circulating in Central China Based on the Full-length Spike Gene

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is prevalent throughout the world and is an important aetiological agent of diarrhoea in new-born calves. However, little is known about the genetic diversity and molecular epidemiology of BCoV in China. In this study, a total of 127 faecal samples from diarrhoeic dairy calves from nine cities in Henan Province, Central China, were collected between 2017 and 2018 and evaluated by RTPCR for the N gene. BCoV was detected in 15% (19/127) of calves. In addition, the full-length sequence of the S gene from 13 representative BCoV strains was obtained and analysed. Sequencing results for the full-length S gene showed 97.3-97.5% nucleotide (nt) identity and 96.3-96.8% amino acid (aa) identity with the classical Mebus strain. Phylogenetic analysis based on the full-length S gene showed that the BCoV strains in this study clustered with Vietnamese and Cuban BCoV strains on a large branch of the tree. These results enrich the molecular characterization of the Chinese BCoV strains and provide the first large-scale epidemiological examination of the prevalence of BCoV in diarrhoeic calves in Henan Province, Central China.

Orta Çin’de Sığır Koronavirusun Tam Uzunlukta Spike Genine Dayalı Tespiti ve Moleküler Karakterizasyonu

Sığır koronavirüs (BCoV) tüm dünyada yaygındır ve yeni doğmuş buzağılarda ishal olgularının etiyolojisinde önemli rol oynar. Bununla birlikte, Çin’de BCoV’nin genetik çeşitliliği ve moleküler epidemiyolojisi hakkında çok az şey bilinmektedir. Bu çalışmada, 2017 ile 2018 yılları arasında Orta Çin’in Henan eyaletindeki dokuz ilden ishalli süt buzağılarından toplam 127 adet dışkı örneği toplandı ve N geni için RT-PCR ile değerlendirildi. Buzağıların %15’inde (19/127) BCoV tespit edildi. Ek olarak, 13 temsilci BCoV suşundan S geninin tam uzunluktaki dizisi elde edildi ve analiz edildi. Tam uzunluktaki S geni için sıralama sonuçları, klasik Mebus suşu ile %97.3-97.5 nükleotit (nt) özdeşliği ve %96.3-96.8 amino asit (aa) özdeşliği gösterdi. Tam uzunluktaki S genine dayanan filogenetik analiz, bu çalışmada BCoV suşlarının, ağacın büyük bir dalında Vietnam ve Küba BCoV suşları ile kümelendiğini gösterdi. Bu sonuçlar, Orta Çin’in Henan Eyaletindeki ishalli buzağılarda BCoV suşlarının moleküler karakterizasyonunu zenginleştirerek BCoV prevalansının ilk büyük ölçekli epidemiyolojik incelenmesini sağlamış oldu.

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