Scavengers as Prospective Sentinels of Viral Diversity: the Snowy Sheathbill Virome as a Potential Tool for Monitoring Virus Circulation, Lessons from Two Antarctic Expeditions

• Published in: Microbiology Spectrum
• Main Authors: Zamora, Gabriel, Aguilar Pierlé, Sebastian, Loncopan, Johana, Araos, Loreto, Verdugo, Francisco, Rojas-Fuentes, Cecilia, Krüger, Lucas, Gaggero, Aldo, Barriga, Gonzalo P.
• Other Authors: Pride, David T., Institut chilien de l'Antarctique
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Society for Microbiology 2023
• Subjects: Infectious Diseases; Cell Biology; Microbiology (medical); Genetics; General Immunology and Microbiology; Ecology; Physiology; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Antarc*; Snowy Sheathbill
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.03302-22; https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/spectrum.03302-22

This article describes whole-virome and targeted viral surveillance for coronaviruses, paramyxoviruses, and influenza viruses in snowy sheathbills from the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland. Our results suggest an important role of this species as a sentinel for this region.