A44 Genome analysis of bovine enterovirus variants isolated from cattle in Thailand

Bovine enteroviruses (BEV) are non-enveloped RNA viruses of the genus Enterovirus, family Picornaviridae, which are commonly found in cattle. They have been classified into two species, enterovirus E (EV-E) and enterovirus F (EV-F). The viruses were previously considered non-pathogenic, but recent evidences suggest their association with pathogenesis in cattle. BEV-like enteroviruses have also been increasingly isolated from a wide range of animals, such as sheep, goats, horses, geese, possum, and deer, from many countries. The isolation and characterization of novel enteroviruses expands the range of the genus. Our data show that both EV-E and EV-F are circulating in cattle in Thailand. The viruses have been detected in 35–67 per cent of dairy and meat cattle feces in Kanchanaburi Province. Recently, we retrieved EV-E isolates from cattle feces by virus isolation in Madin-Darby Bovine Kidney cells. Four virus isolates were subjected to whole-genome sequencing using Illumina next-generation sequencing. A phylogenetic analysis of VP1 capsid protein, which is used for virus genotyping, suggested that there are at least two EV-E genotypes circulating in cattle in the area of study. Two virus strains, closely related to EV-E1 with amino acid sequence identities >88 per cent were identified as EV-E1. The other two strains, closely related to EV-E2 with amino acid sequence identities < 85 per cent, were likely to constitute a new EV-E genotype separate from the existing EV-E2.