Molecular detection and characterization of picobirnavirus in environmental water in Thailand

Abstract

© 2020 Verlag Klinisches Labor GmbH. All rights reserved. Background: Enteric viruses are responsible for waterborne and foodborne infections affecting a large number of people around the world. Picobirnavirus (PBV) is a highly versatile virus, detected in a wide range of hosts and has been reported to be associated with gastroenteritis in humans and animals. Methods: Molecular screening of environmental water samples for PBV was performed over a period of two years from November 2016 to July 2018. The virus was detected by RT multiplex-PCR, nucleotide sequencing, and phy-logenetic analysis. Results: Out of 125 water samples, 1.6% (2 samples) tested positive for PBV. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed that both PBV strains detected in this study belonged to PBV genotype II and most closely related to the human PBV genotype II reference strains previously detected in China, the Netherlands, and the USA. Conclusions: This study reports the first detection of PBV genotype II in environmental water in Thailand. Our result highlights the need for better sanitation and disposal of waste water within this area.