Pigeon Gammacoronaviruses Genome sequencing and assembly. Avian gammacoronavirus

The whole genome sequencing of pathogens of zoonotic potential as part of Prof. Dr. Mohamed Ezzat El Zowalaty's One health Zoonosis research project for the rapid detection of zoonotic pathogens, foodborne illnesses and antimicrobial resistance. Wild birds are the natural reservoirs for diverse influenza A viruses, gammacoronaviruses and deltacoronaviruses but limited data for Africa. The purpose of this project is to perform surveillance studies of influenza A viruses (IAVs) and (coronaviruses ) CoVs at the animal-human- interface environment interface. This project assesses the risk of the interspecies transmission of IAVs and CoVs and their prevalence in different species of wild birds in South Africa. Our long-term goal is to monitor the evolution of CoVs and understand how CoVs spread between different species. The study is essential for the global control and prevention of pre-pandemic CoVs in both animals and humans.