Virome Profiling of an Amur leopard cat Reveals Multiple Anelloviruses and a Bocaparvovirus

Abstract

As a small top predator, Amur leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus) is widely distributed in northeast Asia and plays an important role in the control of small rodent populations and in the maintenance of ecological equilibrium. However, the viruses harbored by this creature have been rarely investigated. Here, we report the DNA and RNA eukaryotic virome profiling of an injured Amur leopard cat followed by PCR validation, which revealed diverse anelloviruses in multiple organs and a bocaparvovirus in the lymph, but no RNA viruses. These anelloviruses have diverse genomic structures and are classified into four phylogroups with viruses of various felines, while the bocaparvovirus is extremely similar to those recovered from diarrheal domestic cats, illustrating the transmission of the virus between domestic animals and wildlife. These data provide the first insight into the genetic diversity of Amur leopard cat viruses, highlighting the need for further investigation of wild animals.