Open AccessMolecular characterization of the first reported Aichivirus A in Australia
Author(s) -
Judy A Northill,
Russell J. Simmons,
Doris Genge,
Frederick Moore
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
access microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2516-8290
DOI - 10.1099/acmi.0.000099
Subject(s) - norovirus , genotyping , genotype , outbreak , polymerase chain reaction , biology , virology , reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction , genome , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , gene , messenger rna
A novel real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-rPCR) assay was developed to detect Aichivirus A (AiV-A) based on four complete genomes. The assay successfully detected AiV-A in a sample from a patient with acute gastroenteritis in January 2008. Screening of 756 samples submitted for norovirus testing during May 2008 detected a further 23 AiV-A-positive samples from 18 individual patients. Genotyping using novel primers targeting the 3C–3D junction region identified AiV-A genotype B. Further sequencing of the VP1 region supported the 3C–3D result. All three assays proved useful to support foodborne outbreak investigations. This is the first report of AiV-A detection in Australia.