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Investigation of koala retrovirus in captive koalas with pneumonia and comparative analysis of subtype distribution

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Abstract

This study focused on the involvement of koala retrovirus (KoRV) in pneumonia in koalas. Three deceased pneumonic koalas from a Japanese zoo were examined in this study. Hematological and histopathological findings were assessed, and KoRV proviral DNA loads in the blood and tissues were compared with those of eight other KoRV-infected koalas from different zoos. Demographic data and routine blood profiles were collected, and blood and tissue samples were analyzed to rule out concurrent infections in pneumonic koalas. KoRV subtyping and measurement of the KoRV proviral DNA load were performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primers targeting the pol and env genes. The results showed that the koalas had histopathologically suppurative and fibrinous pneumonia. Chlamydiosis was not detected in any of the animals. PCR analysis revealed KoRV-A, -B, and -C infections in all koalas, except for animals K10-11, which lacked KoRV-B. Significant variations in the proviral DNA loads of these KoRV subtypes were observed in all tissues and disease groups. Most tissues showed reduced KoRV loads in koalas with pneumonia, except in the spleen, which had significantly higher loads of total KoRV (2.54 × 107/µg DNA) and KoRV-A (4.74 × 107/µg DNA), suggesting potential immunosuppression. This study revealed the intricate dynamics of KoRV in various tissues, indicating its potential role in koala pneumonia via immunosuppression and opportunistic infections. Analysis of the levels of KoRV proviral DNA in different tissues will shed light on viral replication and the resulting pathogenesis in future studies.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Transboundary Animal Diseases Center, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto, Kagoshima, 8900065, Japan

    Lipi Akter, Md Abul Hashem, Md Haroon Or Rashid, Kazi Anowar Hossain, Rupaly Akhter, Masashi Utsunomiya, Bouchra Kitab & Kyoko Tsukiyama-Kohara

  2. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram, Bangladesh

    Lipi Akter & Tofazzal Md Rakib

  3. Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Md Abul Hashem

  4. Department of Histopathology, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan

    Tatsuro Hifumi & Noriaki Miyoshi

  5. Hirakawa Zoological Park, Kagoshima, Japan

    Fumie Maetani

  6. Awaji Farm England Hill Zoo, Hyogo, Japan

    Fumie Maetani

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  1. Lipi Akter
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the conception and design of the study. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by LA, MAH, TMR, MHOR, KAH, RA, MU, BK, and KTK. A draft of the manuscript was written by LA and TMR and subsequently edited and reviewed by KTK. All of the authors have read and approved the final version of this manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kyoko Tsukiyama-Kohara.

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Akter, L., Hashem, M.A., Rakib, T.M. et al. Investigation of koala retrovirus in captive koalas with pneumonia and comparative analysis of subtype distribution. Arch Virol 168, 298 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-023-05928-x

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