Conclusion
The findings of this study increase our understanding of the diversity of picornaviruses in bar-headed geese and provide practical viral genome information for the prevention and treatment of potential viral diseases affecting this species.
Methods
In this study, 10 fecal samples of healthy bar-headed geese were collected, and viral metagenomics method was conducted to identify novel picornaviruses.
Results
Seven novel picornaviruses were identified in the fecal samples of bar-headed geese. Most of these picornaviruses were genetically different from other currently known viruses in the NCBI dataset. Among them, PICV4 was determined to be a new species belonging to the Anativirus genus, PICV5 and PICV13 were classified as novel species belonging to the Hepatovirus genus, and the remaining four picornaviruses (PICV1, PICV19, PICV21, and PICV22) were identified as part of the Megrivirus A species of the Megrivirus genus. Recombinant analysis indicates that PICV21 was a potential recombinant, and the major and minor parents were PICV1 and PICV22, respectively.