First isolation and identification of tembusu virus from naturally infected quails highlighting its cross-species transmission risk.

Abstract

The Tembusu virus (TMUV) has become a major threat in waterfowl farming, causing decreased egg production and neurological issues in ducks and geese. Recent research shows TMUV can infect multiple species, raising concerns about its potential to become a zoonotic pathogen with significant public health risks. In this study, the TMUV strain GXLZ-2024 was isolated from an infected quail in Guangxi, China. Genomic analysis reveals 98.5 %-99.3 % nucleotide similarity with cluster 3.2 TMUV strains, and phylogenetic analysis places it in this cluster. The strain has two unique amino acid mutations in the E and NS1 proteins affecting their 3D structures. Intramuscular injection of the GXLZ-2024 strain in 45-day-old male quails led to depression, body tremors, and 100 % mortality. Quails in the cohabiting contact group developed identical symptoms and also reached 100 % mortality. Autopsies revealed organ damage, including brain congestion, enlarged spleens, and testicular atrophy, along with high viremia and tissue viral loads, signifying the high pathogenicity of the GXLZ-2024 strain in quails. Furthermore, the GXLZ-2024 strain was administered intracranially and leg intramuscularly into the 3-week-old Kunming mice. Both routes of administration resulted in infection, manifesting typical neurological symptoms and inducing organ lesions such as cerebral congestion, hepatomegaly with hemorrhage, and testicular atrophy, with mortality rates of 100 % and 90 %, respectively. This study is the first to identify TMUV in naturally infected quails and thoroughly assess its pathogenicity in quails and mice, offering key insights into the virus's genetic evolution, cross-species transmission, and pathogenesis.