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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Molecular Viral Pathogenesis
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1559722
This article is part of the Research Topic Study on Pathogenesis and Prevention of Ruminant Viral Diseases View all articles
Identification and Phylogenetic Characterization of Novel Hunnivirus Recombinant Strains in Cattle from Guangxi, China
Provisionally accepted
Guangxin Zhang 1,2,3,4
YuHang Luo 1,2,3,4 Jiajie Li 1,2,3,4 Chang Cui 1,2,3,4
Kang Ouyang 1 Ying Chen 1
Zuzhang Wei 1
Yifeng Qin 1
Qinting Dong 3* Yan Pan 3
Huang Weijian 1- 1 Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Region, China
- 2 Guangxi Key Laboratory of Animal Reproduction, Breeding and Disease Control, Nanning, China
- 3 Guangxi Vocational University Of Agriculture, Nanning, China
- 4 Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Engineering Research Center of Veterinary Biologics, Nanning, China
Hunnivirus (HuV), a member of the Picornaviridae family, is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus associated with gastrointestinal symptoms in animals and with potential zoonotic risks. This study investigates the prevalence and genetic characteristics of HuV in cattle populations across Guangxi, China. From 2021 to 2023, 1,017 fecal samples were collected and analyzed, revealing an overall HuV prevalence of 3.05%. Among these, the detection rate in diarrheic cattle (9.59%) was significantly higher than in healthy cattle (2.54%). Regional differences were observed, with the highest prevalence in Liuzhou (5.66%) and the lowest in Nanning (1.51%). Phylogenetic analysis identified a novel recombinant strain, with distinct evolutionary patterns in the P3 genomic region. Sequence analysis revealed low homology in the VP1 and P1 regions compared to known genotypes, supporting the classification of these strains as a new genotype within the HuV genus. Additionally, analysis of the 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) confirmed the presence of type II Internal Ribosome Entry Sites (IRES), which shared up to 91.8% nucleotide similarity with human parechovirus HPeV-3. These findings highlight significant genetic diversity, regional adaptation, and the potential association of HuV with gastrointestinal symptoms in cattle. This study provides critical baseline data for understanding the epidemiology and genetic evolution of HuV and underscores the need for further research to clarify its pathogenicity and zoonotic potential.
Keywords: Hunnivirus, Cattle, recombinant, Phylogenetic characterization, Diarrhea
Received: 13 Jan 2025; Accepted: 20 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Luo, Li, Cui, Ouyang, Chen, Wei, Qin, Dong, Pan and Weijian. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Qinting Dong, Guangxi Vocational University Of Agriculture, Nanning, China
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