Abstract:
Objective To clarify the pathogenicity and culture characteristics of Goose astrovirus(GAstV).
Methods Disease diagnosis and pathogen isolation, identification, gene sequencing, culture characteristics , and pathogenicity on a goose at a farm in Guangdong showing visceral and gout symptoms were conducted.
Results The Goose astrovirus (GAstV) isolated from the tissue sample was named GD2208. It showed the highest homology of 97.4%–99.1% with the reference strain GAstV-Ⅱ based on the ORF2 gene nucleotide sequence. They belonged to the same evolutionary branch on the evolutionary tree. In an animal regression test, the chicks inoculated with GD2208 displayed similar clinical symptoms as well as the pathological and histopathological changes observed on the naturally infected 3-day-old goose and had a 20% mortality rate. The isolate could proliferate in goose embryos, but unable to adapt to SPF chicken or Muscovy duck embryos after 4 generations of blind transmission. It could also grow in GEK and LMH cells with the apparent cytopathic effects or in DF-1 cells without the effects after 8 generations of blind transmission.
Conclusion A GAstV-Ⅱ strain isolated from a diseased goose when inoculated in healthy chicks produced similar symptoms on the birds, and it could grow in goose embryos, GEK, LMH, and DF-1 cells.