Recently, four new viruses belonging to an unassigned family within the order Picornavirales were identified in excrements of healthy carp (fisavirus) and pigs (posavirus 1, 2 and 3). We report the detection and characterization of a fifth virus present in human faeces. The virus, named human stool-associated RNA virus (husavirus), contains a single ORF encoding a putative 2993 AA polyprotein, with a Hel-Pro-Pol replication block, typical for the Picornavirales. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the closest relative to husavirus is posavirus 1, and together they cluster with fisavirus, posavirus 2 and 3 and a roundworm (Ascaris suum) derived virus. Husavirus was detected in eight human stool samples collected in 1984 (n = 2), 1985 (n = 4), 1995 (n = 1) and 2014 (n = 1). From three strains of husavirus from 1984 and 1985 the full genome sequence was determined, showing less than 5 % intraspecies variation in the nucleotide composition. The host of this virus remains to be determined.
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