Molecular detection and characterization of viruses in cattle from selected districts of Uganda.. Viruses in cattle serum from Uganda.

The risk for the emergence of novel zoonotic diseases of viral origin in Uganda is high due to its location within a defined geographical zoonotic disease hotspot that is characterised by high biodiversity and several anthropogenic factors, leading to high levels of animal-human interactions. In this study, we aimed to identify and characterize viruses in cattle that were sampled from five selected districts of Uganda (Kasese, Hoima, Gulu, Soroti and Moroto), using both pan-PCR and metagenomic RNA sequencing approaches. From a total of 175 blood samples analysed, we identified 10 viruses belonging to 5 families and 8 genera, including members of Flaviviridae, Peribunyaviridae, Reoviridae, Retroviridae and Rhabdoviridae. Of these, 4 are potentially novel viruses that are similar to Tarumizu tick virus, Bat pestivirus, Puchong virus and Kotonkan virus. We further identified two viruses Bovine hepacivirus and Shamonda orthobunyavirus, for the first time in Ugandan cattle. Our findings reveal a broad range of viruses in the blood of cattle comprising of known and unknown pathogenic and zoonotic potential, distributed across different regions in Uganda. These results have implications for ensuring optimal animal health and illustrate the potential public health risks for zoonotic disease transmission.