Isolation and genomic characterization of a skunk mastadenovirus A-related virus from an amur hedgehog (Erinaceus amurensis) in East Asia

Adenoviruses are generally considered to exhibit strong host specificity, yet the host association and cross-species transmission potential of adenoviruses in understudied mammalian hosts, such as hedgehogs, remain poorly understood. Pathogen detection was performed through necropsy, virus isolation, and whole-genome sequencing on a deceased Amur hedgehog, followed by phylogenetic analysis and assessment of replication kinetics in MDCK and A549 cell lines and tissue distribution in a BALB/c mouse model. This study isolated an adenovirus, designated EamAdV-1, from an amur hedgehog ( Erinaceus amurensis ) that had exhibited severe respiratory symptoms prior to death. Genomic analysis revealed that EamAdV-1 shares > 99% nucleotide identity with the skunk mastadenovirus A (SkAdV-A) related viruses (species Mastadenovirus trianonense ) isolated from skunks, porcupines, raccoons, and African pygmy hedgehogs, and phylogenetic analysis placed it within the SkAdV-A related viruses. EamAdV-1 replicated efficiently in both canine (MDCK) and human (A549) cells, and intranasal inoculation in mice resulted in weight loss and detection of viral DNA in the lung, liver, spleen, and intestine. Notably, lineage-specific variations were identified in the hexon and fiber genes, including a D/N polymorphism at fiber position 599 that may influence receptor-binding specificity. The detection of this SkAdV-A-related virus in an E. amurensis in China expands the known host diversity of this broadly host-associated lineage and extends its documented geographic distribution to China. These findings highlight the necessity of implementing ongoing surveillance in urban wildlife populations and conducting further functional studies to assess the potential public health implications of this adenovirus clade.