Candidate new rotavirus species in Schreiber's bats, Serbia

Abstract

The genus Rotavirus comprises eight species designated A to H and one tentative species, Rotavirus I. In a virus metagenomic analysis of Schreiber's bats sampled in Serbia in 2014 we obtained sequences likely representing novel rotavirus species. Whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis classified the representative strain into a tentative tenth rotavirus species, we provisionally called Rotavirus J. The novel virus shared a maximum of 50% amino acid sequence identity within the VP6 gene to currently known members of the genus. This study extends our understanding of the genetic diversity of rotaviruses in bats.

Keywords: Astrovirus; Chiroptera; Coronavirus; Gemycircularvirus; Miniopterus schreibersii; Retrovirus; Rotavirus; Semiconductor sequencing; Viral metagenomics.