Isolation and complete genome sequence analysis of a novel ovine adenovirus type representing a possible new mastadenovirus species

Pathological examination of a suckling male lamb showed severe viral pneumonia with suspected bacterial superinfection. Adenovirus was detected by immunohistochemical examination of the affected lung samples. Detection of the suspected adenovirus by PCR and subsequent isolation of the virus were successful. Using next-generation sequencing, the full genome of this ovine adenovirus was sequenced and analysed. A genome sequence comparison showed that it was a novel mastadenovirus type (named "ovine adenovirus 8") that did not belong to any of the established adenovirus species. The genome is 36,206 bp long, containing 93-bp inverted terminal repeats and 29 predicted genes, including the two genus-specific genes (encoding proteins V and IX). Ovine adenovirus 8 shows the closest relationship to ovine adenovirus 6. These two viruses seem to merit the establishment of a novel ovine mastadenovirus species for them, for which we proposed the name "Ovine mastadenovirus C".