Detection and molecular analysis of betacoronaviruses (family Coronaviridae) in hedgehogs (Erinaceus roumanicus) in Hungary

In this study, the presence of a betacoronavirus (species Betacoronavirus erinacei, genus Betacoronavirus, family Coronaviridae) was investigated in faecal samples collected from northern white-breasted hedgehogs (Erinaceus roumanicus) in different sampling areas in Hungary using reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and sequencing methods. A total of 23 (27.4%) of the 84 specimens were positive for betacoronaviruses (PX460030-PX460052), and the region of the viral genome encoding the complete spike protein was sequenced for eight of the positive samples. The complete spike genes from these eight specimens showed 91–94% nucleotide (nt) and 92–94% amino acid (aa) sequence identity to each other and 86–91% nt and 87–92% aa sequence identity to the other European hedgehog coronavirus strains. Hedgehog betacoronavirus is a common and widespread infectious agent in the three hedgehog species (E. europaeus, E. amurensis, and, based on this study, E. roumanicus) studied in Europe and Asia so far, with geographical and probably host-species-specific genetic lineages.