Development of a duplex real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay for the simultaneous detection of goose astrovirus genotypes 1 and 2

Goose astrovirus (GAstV) is a highly infectious pathogen that causes gout in goslings (<15 old) with typical symptoms of white urate disposition on the surface of the visceral organs and articular cavity, and a high mortality rate up to 50 %. To establish a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay for the rapid detection of the two GastV genotypes(GAstV-1 and GAstV-2), two pairs of primers and a pair of matching TaqMan probes were designed based on conserved regions of the ORF1b gene. The established duplex rRT-PCR assay showed no cross-reactivity with 10 other common waterfowl pathogens. The minimum detection limit was 10 copies/reaction for both GAstV-1 and GAstV-2. To validate the assay, 36 cloacal swabs from experimentally infected goslings and 33 field clinical samples were tested. The assay results of the experimentally infected goslings matched the infection scheme. The positive rates of GAstV-1 and GAstV-2 in the field clinical samples were 36.36 % and 54.55 %, respectively, and the co-infection rate of the two viruses was 21.21 % based on the duplex rRT-PCR assay. In conclusion, the established assay represents a specific, sensitive, and convenient tool for detecting GAstV-1, GAstV-2, and their co-infections, and for conducting epidemiological surveys.