Nucleotide sequence-based identification of a novel circovirus of canaries

Circovirus-like, spherical particles measuring 16 to 18 nm in diameter were detected in organ homogenates from adult canaries that had died after a sh ort illness characterized by dullness, anorexia, lethargy and feather disor der. A polymerase chain reaction method, based on degenerate primers specif ic to conserved amino acid sequences in the circovirus replication-associat ed protein, was used to amplify DNA specific to a novel circovirus, tentati vely named canary circovirus (CCV). Sequence analysis of a 510 nucleotide g enomic fragment indicated that CCV exhibited 67.4, 64.9, 53.7 and 53.9% nuc leotide identities and 70.0, 61.8, 40.4 and 40.1% amino acid identities wit h columbid (pigeon) circovirus (CoCV), beak and feather disease virus (BFDV ), porcine circovirus type 1 and porcine circovirus type 2, respectively. C CV therefore represents a new avian virus of the genus Circovirus of the fa mily Circoviridae, and is more closely related to CoCV than BFDV. The avail ability of nucleotide sequence data will facilitate the development of DNA- detecting diagnostics with which the prevalence of CCV infections can be as sessed.