Identification of hepadnavirus in the sera of cats

Sci Rep. 2019 Jul 23;9(1):10668. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-47175-8.

Abstract

Hepadnaviruses infect several animal species. The prototype species, human hepatitis B virus (HBV), increases the risk of liver diseases and may cause cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Recently a novel hepadnavirus, similar to HBV, has been identified through transcriptomics studies in a domestic cat with large cell lymphoma in Australia. Herewith, a collection of 390 feline serum samples was screened for hepadnavirus. Overall, the virus was identified in 10.8% of the sera with a significantly higher prevalence (17.8%) in the sera of animals with a clinical suspect of infectious disease. Upon genome sequencing, the virus was closely related (97.0% nt identity) to the prototype Australian feline virus Sydney 2016. The mean and median values of hepadnavirus in the feline sera were 1.3 × 106 and 2.1 × 104 genome copies per mL (range 3.3 × 100-2.5 × 107 genome copies per mL). For a subset of hepadnavirus-positive samples, information on the hemato-chemical parameters was available and in 10/20 animals a profile suggestive of liver damage was present. Also, in 7/10 animals with suspected hepatic disease, virus load was >104 genome copies per mL, i.e. above the threshold considered at risk of active hepatitis and liver damage for HBV.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cat Diseases / blood
  • Cat Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Cats
  • Genome, Viral
  • Hepadnaviridae / isolation & purification*
  • Hepadnaviridae Infections / blood
  • Hepadnaviridae Infections / diagnosis
  • Hepadnaviridae Infections / veterinary*
  • Viral Load