Genetic Characterization of Coronaviruses from Domestic Ferrets, Japan

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 20; no. 2; pp. 284 - 287
• Main Authors: Terada, Yutaka, Minami, Shohei, Noguchi, Keita, Mahmoud, Hassan Y.A.H., Shimoda, Hiroshi, Mochizuki, Masami, Une, Yumi, Maeda, Ken
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.02.2014; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Animals; Coronavirus - classification; Coronavirus - genetics; Coronavirus - isolation & purification; Coronavirus infections; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; Coronavirus Infections - veterinary; Coronavirus Infections - virology; Coronaviruses; Diarrhea - epidemiology; Diarrhea - veterinary; Diarrhea - virology; Dispatch; Distribution; Enteritis - epidemiology; Enteritis - veterinary; Enteritis - virology; Feces - virology; ferret; Ferrets - virology; Genetic aspects; genetic characterization; Genotype; Humans; Japan; Japan - epidemiology; Molecular Typing; Pets; Phylogeny; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Viral - classification; RNA, Viral - genetics; Zoonoses; Japan; pets; viruses; domestic ferret; Japan; genetic characterization; coronaviruses; ferret; genotype
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid2002.130543

We detected ferret coronaviruses in 44 (55.7%) of 79 pet ferrets tested in Japan and classified the viruses into 2 genotypes on the basis of genotype-specific PCR. Our results show that 2 ferret coronaviruses that cause feline infectious peritonitis-like disease and epizootic catarrhal enteritis are enzootic among ferrets in Japan.