Adenovirus Diversity in Fur Seal and Penguin Colonies of South America

Adenoviruses are medium size non-enveloped viruses with a trend of coevolution with their hosts. We surveyed South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis) and Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) for adenoviruses at two sites from 2009 to 2012. Despite the common pattern of host specificity, some of the adenoviruses in our study were present in samples from unexpected host species. We identified mastade-noviruses, aviadenoviruses, and siadenoviruses in A. australis from Peru and Chile and in S. humboldti from Peru. The El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) significantly reduces the productivity of the Humboldt upwelling system, which can change trophic and other ecological interactions, facilitating exposure to new pathogens. One aviadenovirus was detected in both the penguins and the fur seals, an interclass distance. This finding occurred only during the 2009 ENSO and not in 2010 or 2012. Further studies of viral diversity in sites with high-density mixed species populations are necessary to better understand viral evolution and the effect of environmental change on viral evolution and host specificity.

Automated summary

Adenoviruses were found in South American fur seals and Humboldt penguins, with some viruses shared between the two species during the 2009 ENSO event. Environmental changes, such as ENSO, can impact viral diversity and host specificity, highlighting the need for further studies in mixed species populations to better understand viral evolution.