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Livestock plays a crucial role in ensuring food security and driving the global economy. However, viral infections can have far-reaching consequences beyond economic productivity, affecting the health of cattle, as well as posing risks to human health and other animals. Identifying viruses present in fecal samples, a primary route of pathogen transmission, is essential for developing effective prevention, control, and surveillance strategies. Viral metagenomic approaches offer a broader perspective and hold great potential for detecting previously unknown viruses or uncovering previously undescribed agents. Ubaté Province is Colombia's dairy capital and a key center for livestock production in the country. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to characterize viral communities in fecal samples from cattle in this region. A total of 42 samples were collected from three municipalities in Ubaté Province, located in central Colombia, using a convenient non-probabilistic sampling method. We utilized metagenomic sequencing with Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT), combined with diversity and phylogenetic analysis. The findings revealed a consistent and stable viral composition across the municipalities, primarily comprising members of the Picornaviridae family. At the species level, the most frequent viruses were Enterovirus E (EVE) and Bovine Astrovirus (BoAstV). Significantly, this study reported, for the first time in Colombia, the presence of viruses with veterinary importance occurring at notable frequencies: EVE (59%), Bovine Kobuvirus (BKV) (52%), and BoAstV (19%). Additionally, the study confirmed the existence of Circular replicase-encoding single-stranded (CRESS) Virus in animal feces. These sequences were phylogenetically grouped with samples obtained from Asia and Latin America, underscoring the importance of having adequate representation across the continent. The virome of bovine feces in Ubaté Province is characterized by the predominance of potentially pathogenic viruses such as BoAstV and EVE that have been reported with substantial frequency and quantities. Several of these viruses were identified in Colombia for the first time. This study showcases the utility of using metagenomic sequencing techniques in epidemiological surveillance. It also paves the way for further research on the influence of these agents on bovine health and their frecuency across the country., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Juan David Ramirez reports financial support was provided by University of Rosario., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease with clinical manifestations similar to smallpox in humans. Since May 13, 2022, an increasing number of suspected and confirmed cases have been reported, affecting non-endemic regions across the globe. More strikingly, reports from the current outbreak reveal unique aspects regarding transmission dynamics and an unprecedented, rapidly expanding and sustained community transmission. As demonstrated through the still-ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, genomic surveillance has been an essential resource for monitoring and tracking the evolution of pathogens of public health relevance. Herein, we performed a phylogenomic analysis of available Monkeypox virus (MPXV) genomes to determine their evolution and diversity. Our analysis revealed that all MPXV genomes grouped into three monophyletic clades: two previously characterized clades and a newly emerging clade harboring genomes from the ongoing 2022 multi-country outbreak with 286 genomes comprising the hMPXV-1A clade and the newly classified lineages: A.1 (n = 6), A.1.1 (n = 1), A.2 (n = 3) and B.1 (n = 262), where lineage B.1 includes all MPXV genomes from the 2022 outbreak. Finally, it was estimated that B.1 lineage of this clade emerged in Europe on 03/02/2022 [95%CI = 11/13/2021 to 05/10/2022]. The exceptional surge of cases and the broader geographical expansion suggest multifactorial factors as drivers of the current outbreak dynamics. Such factors may include the cessation of smallpox vaccination and its potential spread across particular networks. Integrating pertinent epidemiological information with genomic surveillance information will help generate real-time data to help implement adequate preventive and control measures by optimizing public health decisions to mitigate this outbreak., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Nothing to declare., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)