Piasecki, TomaszHarkins, Gordon WilliamChrzastek, KlaudiaJulian, LaurelMartin, Darren PatrickVarsani, Arvind2017-07-122017-07-122013Piasecki, T. et al. (2013). Avihepadnavirus diversity in parrots is comparable to that found amongst all other avian species. Virology, 438: 98-1050042-6822http://hdl.handle.net/10566/3065https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2013.01.009Avihepadna viruses have previously been isolated from various species of duck ,goose, stork, heron and crane. Recently the first parrot avihepadna virus was isolated from a Ring-necked Parakeet in Poland. In this study, 41 psittacineliver samples archived in Poland over the last nine years were tested for presence of Parrot hepatitis B virus(PHBV). We cloned and sequenced PHBVisolates from 18 birds including a Crimson Rosella, an African grey parrot and sixteen Ring-necked Parakeets. PHBVisolates display a degree of diversity (478% genome wide pair wise identity) that is comparable to that found amongst all other avihepadna viruses (479% genome wide pair wise identity). The PHBV viruses can be subdivided into seven genetically distinct groups (tentatively named A-G) of which the two isolated of PHBV-Gare the most divergent sharing 79% genome wide pair wise identity with all their PHBVs. All PHBV isolates display classical avihepadnavirus genome architecture.enThis is the author-version of the article published online at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2013.01.009AvihepadnavirusesPsittacinesHepatitis BvirusParrot hepatitisBvirusArticle