Unveiling the diversity of avastroviruses in tropical wild birds from the Atlantic Forest, Brazil

A novel avastrovirus strain, Passerine Avastrovirus (PasAstV M1580), has been identified in wild birds from the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, expanding the known diversity within the Avastrovirus genus. This discovery was made during a study investigating Reovirales-related viruses using next-generation sequencing (NGS) on fecal samples from 417 wild birds representing 89 species. Conventional RT-PCR detected avastroviruses in 7.67% of samples, with repeated detections in recaptured individuals, suggesting persistent infection or shedding. Genomic analysis revealed that PasAstV M1580 exhibits low amino acid identity (25.18% to 33.23%) compared to prototype strains, indicating it may represent a novel species within the genus. This study highlights the unexplored diversity of avastroviruses in tropical wild bird populations and provides insights into their ecological dynamics.

Haisi, A., Schunck, F., de Azevedo, L. S., Cunha, M. S., de Almeida, R. G., Silva, V. C. M., Luchs, A., & Araújo Junior, J. P. (2026). Unveiling the diversity of avastroviruses in tropical wild birds from the Atlantic Forest, Brazil. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-74409-3