Astroviruses: an update on our

understanding of these emerging

diseases

Victoria Smyth, BSc, Ph.D

Victoria.Smyth@afbini.gov.uk
 Astrovirus History
‫٭‬First astrovirus (human) identified in 1975 (leading cause of
diarrhoea in young children).
‫٭‬Many astroviruses of mammalian species e.g. mink, cows,
dogs, sheep, bats, cats, pigs, rabbits, sea lions & dolphins.
‫٭‬Mainly associated with enteric disease in young animals
‫٭‬First avian astrovirus (turkeys) identified in 1980.
‫٭‬Some older papers call them enterovirus-like viruses and
they may sometimes have also been described as
picornaviruses and form part of a group known as “small
round viruses”.
Physical Properties of AstVs
‫٭‬ Small spherical, unenveloped viruses
(~30 nm)
‫٭‬ Distinctive surface structure
- 5- or 6- pointed star appearance
‫٭‬ - not all particles have star appearance
‫٭‬ Positive sense RNA genome (>6.7<8kb)
- distinctive genome organisation (only 3
genes)
‫٭‬ Relatively resistant to physical and
chemical treatments – present in and on
surface of darkling beetles
 Mamastrovirus
MAstV-1
HAstV-5 HAstV-1
HAstV-3 75 HAstV-2
44 HAstV-4
18
18
HAstV-8
OAstV-1
100
100

100

TAstV-1
78
100

99

ANV-1 51
96 DAstV-1
99
100
TAstV-2 CAstV B
Avastrovirus 99

CAstV A
DAstV-2
0.1

Phylogenetic tree of astrovirus species

 Avian Astrovirus Diseases
Major Tissue
Avian Species Virus Disease/Condition
Distribution

Turkey astrovirus type 1

Enteritis, growth retardation Intestine
(TAstV-1)
Turkey
(ICTV designation:
Avastrovirus 1) Turkey astrovirus type 2 Enteritis, growth retardation, Intestine, bursa of
(TAstV-2) (PEC: poult enteritis complex) Fabricius, thymus

Nephritis, baby chick

Avian nephritis virus (ANV) Intestine, kidney
nephropathy, growth retardation
Chicken
(ICTV designation:
Avastrovirus 2) Growth retardation, kidney
Chicken astrovirus Intestine, kidney, liver
disease, White Chicks hatchery
(CAstV) pancreas, spleen
disease

Duck astrovirus type 1 Hepatitis and variable mortality in

Liver, kidney, spleen
Duck (DAstV-1) young ducks
(ICTV designation:
Avastrovirus 3) Duck astrovirus type 2 Hepatitis and variable mortality in
Liver, kidney, spleen
(DAstV-2) ducklings

Avian astroviruses can invade beyond the intestine

 Cross-infection between avian
species is likely
‫ ٭‬Turkeys infected with ANV and CAstV
- ANV RNA detected in turkeys
- Antibodies to ANV detected in turkeys
- Antibodies to CAstVs detected in turkeys
‫ ٭‬Guinea fowl are infected with TAstV-2 -like viruses

‫ ٭‬Ducks, geese, pigeons infected with ANV

Astroviruses of chickens
‫٭‬ Avian nephritis virus (ANV)
was detected in the 1970s
but was only identified as the
first astrovirus of chickens in
2000.

‫٭‬ Chicken astrovirus (CAstV)

was identified in 2004 as the
second astrovirus species of
chickens from 2 flocks with
Immunofluorescence staining of cells
runting stunting syndrome & infected with CAstV.
a flock with uneven growth.
 ANV: Biological Characteristics
‫ ٭‬Some cell culture isolates; some grow in chick embryos
‫ ٭‬Differences in antigenicity
- at least 2 serotypes, multiple genotypes

‫ ٭‬Differences in pathogenicity & tropism

- experimental infections of 1-day-old SPF chicks
- differences in mortality, degrees of growth retardation and nephritis
- Belgian ANV causes severe and long-lasting intestinal lesions and low
levels of kidney lesions

‫ ٭‬Biological differences largely explained by capsid protein

sequence variation
- as low as 55% amino acid identity
ANV Capsid Amino Acid Tree
Group 4

Group 5

Group 3

Group 1

Group 2

Group 6
 Chicken Astrovirus
• First isolated in 2004 from broiler flocks with growth problems in
Netherlands (1980s)
- characterised by partial sequence
- adapted to grow in cell culture
- widespread antibody in broilers and breeders

• Surveys of commercial broiler flocks in UK and USA show that CAstV is

prevalent and detected at early timepoints.

• Quantitative, real time RT-PCR tests show that frequently chicks are
hatching with high levels of CAstV indicating vertical transmission.

• Often present in co-infections with other enteric viruses such as ANV,

reovirus and fowl adenovirus.
 CAstV Biological Characteristics
• Some CAstVs can be grown in chick embryos

• Partial replication in cell culture

- can be adapted to grow in cell culture – difficulties!

• Differences in antigenicity
- 2 major groups, A and B, identified by indirect immunofluorescence

• Differences in pathogenicity - some strains can cause nephritis and

growth retardation - different genogroups identified

• Virus detected at high levels in kidney, liver and spleen in addition to

intestine
Runting Stunting Syndrome (RSS) in
Broiler Chickens

1980s 2014
 Cystic Enteropathy

Photo courtesy of Dr Ann Sharpe, Dept of Agriculture, Food & the

Marine, Backweston, Celbridge, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
Preliminary Results of Viral Metagenomics of RSS and
Normal Broiler birds using Next Generation Sequencing
Family Genus
CAstV and Kidney Disease
White Chicks Hatchery Disease
Egg production and hatchability
100.0
80.0
60.0
%

40.0
20.0
0.0
23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51

Egg production STD % Egg production %

Hatchability STD % Hatchability %
 CAstV Capsid Amino Acid Sequence Tree

subgroup B i

subgroup Biii Group B

(KD & VG)
subgroup B iv
(White Chicks)
subgroup B i

subgroup A ii

subgroup A iii Group A

subgroup A i

Tree rooted with ANV-1. Neighbour-joining method with 1000 bootstrap replicates.
* denotes a Polish strain associated with White Chicks disease in subgroup A iii

Open Access Review: Viruses 2017, 9, 29. A Review of the Strain Diversity and Pathogenesis
of Chicken Astrovirus
 In Summary
‫ ٭‬RNA genome ∴ high variability in strain pathogenicities
‫ ٭‬Generally cause enteric diseases of young animals &
birds causing enteritis, growth retardation, diarrhoea
but many AstVs are also detected in healthy birds.
‫ ٭‬Cross species infections are possible
‫ ٭‬TAstV-1 & -2 associated with PEC
‫ ٭‬DAstV-1 & -2 associated with fatal hepatitis
‫ ٭‬ANV and CAstV also associated with nephritis & RSS
‫ ٭‬CAstV can be vertically transmitted causing hatchery
disease such as White Chicks
 Acknowledgements

‫٭‬ AFBI Avian Virology & Cell Culture staff

‫٭‬ Dr Danny Todd & Dr Ryan Devaney, Stormont Lab, AFBI
‫٭‬ Dr Ann Sharpe, DAFM, Backweston, Co. Kildare, RoI.
‫٭‬ Dr Michael Day, SEPRL, USDA, Athens, Georgia
‫٭‬ Poultry Industry
‫٭‬ DAERA & QUB

Victoria.Smyth@afbini.gov.uk