Is Penguin Circovirus Circulating Only in the Antarctic Circle? Lack of Viral Detection in Namibia

Laura C Roberts^{1

2}, Umberto Molini^{3

4}, Lauren M Coetzee⁴, Siegfried Khaiseb⁴, Jean-Paul Roux⁵, Jessica Kemper⁵, David G Roberts⁶, Katrin Ludynia^{6

7}, Marcus Doherr⁸, Darrell Abernethy^{2

9}, Giovanni Franzo¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0110, South Africa.
² Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Research, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0110, South Africa.
³ School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Neudamm Campus, University of Namibia, Private Bag, Windhoek 13301, Namibia.
⁴ Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL), 24 Goethe Street, Private Bag, Windhoek 18137, Namibia.
⁵ African Penguin Conservation Project, Lüderitz 23016, Namibia.
⁶ Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), Cape Town 7441, South Africa.
⁷ Department of Biodiversity & Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa.
⁸ Institute for Veterinary Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Freie, Königsweg 67, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
⁹ Aberystwyth School of Veterinary Science, Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK.
¹⁰ Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Legnaro, 35020 Padova, Italy.

PMID: 37174486
PMCID: PMC10177519
DOI: 10.3390/ani13091449

Is Penguin Circovirus Circulating Only in the Antarctic Circle? Lack of Viral Detection in Namibia

Laura C Roberts et al. Animals (Basel). 2023.

. 2023 Apr 24;13(9):1449.

doi: 10.3390/ani13091449.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0110, South Africa.
² Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Research, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0110, South Africa.
³ School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Neudamm Campus, University of Namibia, Private Bag, Windhoek 13301, Namibia.
⁴ Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL), 24 Goethe Street, Private Bag, Windhoek 18137, Namibia.
⁵ African Penguin Conservation Project, Lüderitz 23016, Namibia.
⁶ Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), Cape Town 7441, South Africa.
⁷ Department of Biodiversity & Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa.
⁸ Institute for Veterinary Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Freie, Königsweg 67, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
⁹ Aberystwyth School of Veterinary Science, Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK.
¹⁰ Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Legnaro, 35020 Padova, Italy.

PMID: 37174486
PMCID: PMC10177519
DOI: 10.3390/ani13091449

Abstract

The known host range of circoviruses is continuously expanding because of more intensive diagnostic activities and advanced sequencing tools. Recently, a new circovirus (penguin circovirus (PenCV)) was identified in the guano and cloacal samples collected from Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) and chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarcticus) in Antarctica. Although the virus was detected in several asymptomatic subjects, a potential association with feather disease was speculated. To investigate the occurrence and implications of PenCV in other penguin species located outside of Antarctica, a broad survey was undertaken in African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) on two islands off the southern Namibian coast. For this purpose, specific molecular biology assays were developed and validated. None of the 151 blood samples tested positive for PenCV. Several reasons could explain the lack of PenCV positive samples. African penguins and Pygoscelis species are separated by approximately 6000 km, so there is almost no opportunity for transmission. Similarly, host susceptibility to PenCV might be penguin genus-specific. Overall, the present study found no evidence of PenCV in African penguin colonies in Namibia. Further dedicated studies are required to assess the relevance of PenCV among different penguin species.

Keywords: Namibia; molecular epidemiology; penguin; penguin circovirus (PenCV).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

**Figure 1**
Map reporting the location of the sampling sites.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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Is Penguin Circovirus Circulating Only in the Antarctic Circle? Lack of Viral Detection in Namibia

Affiliations

Is Penguin Circovirus Circulating Only in the Antarctic Circle? Lack of Viral Detection in Namibia

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

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