Detection and phylogenetic analysis of torque teno virus (TTV) carried by murine rodents and house shrews in China

Between May 2015 and May 2017, 496 animals (473 murine rodents and 23 house shrews) were captured in six regions of China. A total of 22.8% (113/496) of throat swabs, 29.1% (142/488) of fecal samples and 23.8% (54/227) of serum samples tested positive for rodent torque teno virus 3 (RoTTV3). The positive rate in Rattus norvegicus was higher than the rate in Rattus tanezumi and Rattus losea. Of 23 house shrews, one throat swab and one serum sample were positive for RoTTV3. Ten murine rodents were simultaneously positive for RoTTV3 in throat swab, fecal and serum samples. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the 12 near-full length genomes of RoTTVs sequences obtained in this study represented a novel RoTTV genotype (RoTTV3). In conclusion, high prevalence rates of RoTTV3 were found in three common murine rodents in China, and the RoTTV3 obtained in this study were classified as a novel genotype of RoTTV.