Identification and epidemiology of a novel Hepacivirus in domestic ducks in Hunan province, China.

The genus Hepacivirus comprises a diverse range of genetically distinct viruses that infect both mammalian and non-mammalian hosts, with some posing significant risks to human and animal health. Members of the genus Hepacivirus are typically classified into fourteen species (Hepacivirus A-N), with ongoing discoveries of novel hepaciviruses like Hepacivirus P and Hepacivirus Q. In this study, a novel Hepacivirus was identified in duck liver samples collected from live poultry markets in Hunan province, China, using unbiased high-throughput sequencing and meta-transcriptomic analysis. Through sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis, it was determined that this newly discovered Hepacivirus belongs to a new subspecies of Hepacivirus Q. Moreover, molecular screening revealed the widespread circulation of this novel virus among duck populations in various regions of Hunan province, with an overall prevalence of 13.3%. These findings significantly enhence our understanding of the genetic diversity and evolution of hepaciviruses, emphasizing the presence of genetically diverse hepaciviruses duck populations in China. Given the broad geographical distribution and relatively high positive rate, further investigations are essential to explore any potential associations between Hepacivirus Q and duck-related diseases.

[Production of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against citrus tristeza virus and their efficiency for the detection of the virus].

Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) was purified from a citrus sample by a modified protocol, and the yield was about 1 mg from 100 g citrus tissues. Polyclonal antibody was prepared by immunizing rabbits with the purified CTV preparation with a titer 1:25600 in indirect ELISA test. Eighteen hybridoma-cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against CTV were screened after the fusion of mouse myeloma cells (SP2/0) with spleen cells from BALB/c immunized with the virus preparation. Four hybridoma-cell lines were selected randomly for later analysis. The results indicated that the titers of ascetic fluids against these hybridoma cell lines ranged from 1:51200 to 1:204800 in indirect ELISA, and their isotypes and subclasses were IgG2a for 2G and 3H and IgG2b for IE and 4H. These four Mabs were used to detect CTV in citrus samples in different sources. Results showed that TAS-ELISA with polyclonal antibody as trapping antibody and monoclonal antibody as testing antibody had a higher specificity and sensitivity than PAS-ELISA. Four Mabs showed different intensities of serological reaction with different CTV isolates. However, much work remains for realizing the characteristics and the serological relationships among these isolates.