Comparative analysis of six genome sequences of three novel picornaviruses, turdiviruses 1, 2 and 3, in dead wild birds, and proposal of two novel genera, Orthoturdivirus and Paraturdivirus, in the family Picornaviridae

In this territory-wide molecular epidemiology study of picornaviruses, involving 6765 dead wild birds from 201 species in 50 families over a 12 month period, three novel picornaviruses, turdiviruses 1, 2 and 3 (TV1, TV2 and TV3), were identified from birds of different genera in the family Turdidae. In contrast to many other viruses in birds of the family Turdidae or viruses of the family Picornaviridae, TV1, TV2 and TV3 were found exclusively in the autumn and winter months. Two genomes each of TV1, TV2 and TV3 were sequenced. Regions P1, P2 and P3 of the three turdiviruses possessed, respectively,