Diversity of gammacoronaviruses and deltacoronaviruses in wild birds and poultry in Russia

Abstract Coronaviruses of genera Gammacoronavirus and Deltacoronavirus are globally widespread and are found primarily in wild and domestic birds with established crossover from avian to mammalian reservoir. There is limited understanding of the diversity and geographical distribution of coronaviruses among birds. In this study, the surveillance of coronaviruses in birds in Russia performed in 2020 revealed the presence of coronaviruses in 12% of samples from birds. Targeted NGS approach was used for the evaluation of genetic diversity based on RdRp gene. While gammacoronviruses were found in both wild brids and poultry, deltacoronaviruses were found in wild birds only and represent the first detections for Russia. A number of cases with the simultaneous detection of gamma- and deltacoronaviruses in one bird was reported. Results of the study highlight the importance of further research of the spread and diversity of coronaviruses among birds on the territory of Russia and in the world.