Sarker, S., Klukowski, N., Talukder, S., Athukorala, A., and Uddin, M.J. (2025) Opportunistic sampling from the near-threatened Alexandrine parakeet uncovers genomes of a novel parvovirus and beak and feather disease virus. Australian Veterinary Journal. (In Press)

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Abstract

Birds are known to harbour a wide range of pathogenic viruses, including the beak and feather disease virus (BFDV; species, Circovirus parrot), which poses a significant threat to the conservation of endangered avian species. This study reports the genomic identification and characterisation of a novel psittaciform chaphamaparvovirus (PsChPV-6) and BFDV, sequenced from the faecal samples of healthy Alexandrine parakeets (Psittacula eupatria). PsChPV-6 is a linear, single-stranded DNA virus consisting of 4232 nucleotides (nt) with a high A + T content and five predicted open reading frames (ORFs). Key proteins encoded by PsChPV-6, such as the nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) and major capsid protein VP1, demonstrate strong sequence similarities to other avian parvoviruses, with conserved motifs in NS1 crucial for viral replication. The presence of a previously uncharacterised ORF1 region suggests strain-specific viral features that warrant further exploration. BFDV is a circular single-stranded DNA virus in the Circoviridae family and was also identified in the samples. Phylogenetic analysis positioned PsChPV-6 within the Chaphamaparvovirus genus, closely related to parvoviruses from diverse avian species, whereas BFDV was grouped with strains from Australian cockatoos and other nonpsittacine birds, suggesting potential cross-species transmission. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the genetic diversity and evolutionary dynamics of these viral pathogens in bird populations, underscoring the importance of ongoing surveillance to evaluate their ecological and veterinary impacts.

Item ID:	85657
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1751-0813
Copyright Information:	© 2025 The Author(s). Australian Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Veterinary Association. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.1
Funders:	Australian Research Council (ARC)
Projects and Grants:	ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award grant number DE200100367
Date Deposited:	27 May 2025 22:44
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