Isolation and characterization of a novel strain of duck aviadenovirus B from Muscovy ducklings with acute hepatitis in China

A new disease designated as Pale liver disease (PLD) has been circulating in Chinese Muscovy duck flocks since 2014, which is characterized by fatigue, diarrhoea, sudden death and acute hepatitis with pale and haemorrhagic liver. In this study, the etiological agents of PLD were isolated, causing a significant cytopathic effect (CPE) by cell rounding. Virus particles were observed by transmission electron microscopic (TEM) observation. The same disease was reproduced by experimental infection with the isolate BG61. The whole genomes of isolates were 43,842 nt in length with a GC content of 47.11%, similar to French Muscovy duck adenovirus strain GR with a GC content of 46.08%. The isolates shared 99.71–99.95% and 93.31–93.33% identity with Chinese Muscovy duck adenovirus isolates and GR strain, respectively. The DNA polymerase gene of all Muscovy duck adenovirus strains formed a separate genetic lineage with 99.55–100% amino acid sequence identity. All Chinese Muscovy duck adenovirus isolates contained two fibre genes. In contrast, only one fibre gene was found in GR, the only representative strain in species Duck aviadenovirus B. Anti‐DAdV‐2 serum antibodies had a weak neutralizing activity against Chinese Muscovy duck adenovirus isolates. The phylogenetic trees of the complete genome, hexon and fibre proteins revealed that all Muscovy duck adenovirus strains formed a major genetic lineage consisting of two clades. Thus, both GR and Chinese Muscovy duck adenovirus strains were proposed to be included in the same species of Duck aviadenovirus B belonging to the genus Aviadenovirus. The species Duck aviadenovirus B included two serotypes or genotypes, such as GR, which represents the strain of serotype 1 or genotype 1 (DAdV B1) and Chinese Muscovy duck adenovirus strains, which belong to serotype 2 or genotype 2 (DAdV B2).