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Orthobunyaviruses (order Bunyavirales, family Peribunyaviridae) in the Simbu serogroup have been responsible for widespread epidemics of congenital disease in ruminants. Australia has a national program to monitor arboviruses of veterinary importance. While monitoring for Akabane virus, a novel orthobunyavirus was detected. To inform the priority that should be given to this detection, a scoping review was undertaken to (1) characterise the associated disease presentations and establish which of the Simbu group viruses are of veterinary importance; (2) examine the diagnostic assays that have undergone development and validation for this group of viruses; and (3) describe the methods used to monitor the distribution of these viruses. Two search strategies identified 224 peer-reviewed publications for 33 viruses in the serogroup. Viruses in this group may cause severe animal health impacts, but only those phylogenetically arranged in clade B are associated with animal disease. Six viruses (Akabane, Schmallenberg, Aino, Shuni, Peaton, and Shamonda) were associated with congenital malformations, neurological signs, and reproductive disease. Diagnostic test interpretation is complicated by cross-reactivity, the timing of foetal immunocompetence, and sample type. Serological testing in surveys remains a mainstay of the methods used to monitor the distribution of SGVs. Given significant differences in survey designs, only broad mean seroprevalence estimates could be provided. Further research is required to determine the disease risk posed by novel orthobunyaviruses and how they could challenge current diagnostic and surveillance capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hendra virus (HeV) is a paramyxovirus (genus Henipavirus) (1) that causes respiratory and neurologic disease in horses and humans; the case-fatality rate is >60%. Fruit bats are the reservoir hosts [...]

Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) is a species within the genus Megalocytivirus (family Iridoviridae), which causes high mortality disease in many freshwater and marine fish species. ISKNV was first reported in Asia and is an emerging threat to aquaculture with increasing global distribution, in part due to its presence in ornamental fish with clinical and subclinical infections. The species ISKNV includes three genotypes: red seabream iridovirus (RSIV), turbot reddish body iridovirus (TRBIV), and ISKNV. There is an increasing overlap in the recognized range of susceptible fish hosts and the geographic distribution of these distinct genotypes. To better understand the disease caused by ISKNV, a nucleic acid hybridization capture enrichment was used prior to sequencing to characterize whole genomes from archived clinical specimens of aquaculture and ornamental fish from Southeast Asia (n = 16). The method was suitable for tissue samples containing 2.50 × 104–4.58 × 109 ISKNV genome copies mg−1. Genome sequences determined using the hybridization capture method were identical to those obtained directly from tissues when there was sufficient viral DNA to sequence without enrichment (n = 2). ISKNV genomes from diverse locations, environments, and hosts had very high similarity and matched established genotype classifications (14 ISKNV genotype Clade 1 genomes with >98.81% nucleotide similarity). Conversely, two different genotypes were obtained at the same time and location (RSIV and ISKNV from grouper, Indonesia with 92.44% nucleotide similarity). Gene-by-gene analysis with representative ISKNV genomes identified 59 core genes within the species (>95% amino acid identity). The 14 Clade 1 ISKNV genomes in this study had 100% aa identity for 92–105 of 122 predicted genes. Despite high overall sequence similarity, phylogenetic analyses using single nucleotide polymorphisms differentiated isolates from different host species, country of origin, and time of collection. Whole genome studies of ISKNV and other megalocytiviruses enable genomic epidemiology and will provide information to enhance disease control in aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]