First report of Matryoshka RNA virus in an African-European migrant bird. Curruca communis

Whole blood was collected from a wild African-European migrant bird (Curruca communis) at Ventes Ragas Ornithological station, Lithuania, and subjected to RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to identify novel Matryoshka RNA viruses. Haemosporidian parasite infection was investigated through Sanger sequencing of partial mitochondrial DNA. The Matryoshka RNA viruses have been previously associated with human and avian haemosporidian parasite infection.