Detection of Porcine Circovirus 3 in Wildlife Species in Spain

Abstract

Porcine circovirus 3 (PCV-3) is the third member of the family <i>Circoviridae</i>, genus <i>Circovirus</i>, able to infect swine. A high prevalence of viral DNA has been recorded in wild boars. Recently, PCV-3 DNA was identified in Italian wild ruminants. Based on these previous results, this study assessed the frequency of PCV-3 DNA detection in free-ranging ruminants and <i>Lagomorpha</i> species in Spain. In addition, the genetic characterization of the PCV-3 PCR-positive samples was performed. A total of 801 serum samples, including red deer (<i>Cervus elaphus, [CE]</i>; n = 108), roe deer (<i>Capreolus capreolus, [CC]</i>; n = 87), Pyrenean chamois (<i>Rupicapra pyrenaica, [RP]</i>; n = 133), Iberian ibex (<i>Capra pyrenaica, [CP]</i>; n = 92), mouflon (<i>Ovis aries, [OA]</i>; n = 91), fallow deer (<i>Dama dama, [DD]</i>; n = 104), European rabbit (<i>Oryctolagus cuniculus, [OC]</i>; n = 101), and European hare (<i>Lepus europaeus, [LE]</i>; n = 85) from Catalonia (northeast Spain) were tested by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and, when positive, sequenced. Overall, PCV-3 DNA was found in three out of 801 analyzed sera (0.37%) corresponding to one red deer (1/108, 0.9%), one mouflon (1/91, 1.1%), and one fallow deer (1/104, 0.96%). None of the samples collected from <i>Lagomorpha</i> species resulted PCR positive. The partial genome sequences detected in positive samples displayed high identity with some PCV-3 sequences detected in wild boars and domestic pigs (99.7% and 100%, respectively). In conclusion, the present study indicated that free-ranging ruminant and <i>Lagomorpha</i> species are not relevant in the epidemiology of PCV-3 in Spain.