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Systematic Determination of Herpesvirus in Free-Ranging Cetaceans Stranded in the Western Mediterranean: Tissue Tropism and Associated Lesions.
- Source :
-
Viruses [Viruses] 2021 Oct 28; Vol. 13 (11). Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Oct 28. - Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- The monitoring of herpesvirus infection provides useful information when assessing marine mammals' health. This paper shows the prevalence of herpesvirus infection (80.85%) in 47 cetaceans stranded on the coast of the Valencian Community, Spain. Of the 966 tissues evaluated, 121 tested positive when employing nested-PCR (12.53%). The largest proportion of herpesvirus-positive tissue samples was in the reproductive system, nervous system, and tegument. Herpesvirus was more prevalent in females, juveniles, and calves. More than half the DNA PCR positive tissues contained herpesvirus RNA, indicating the presence of actively replicating virus. This RNA was most frequently found in neonates. Fourteen unique sequences were identified. Most amplified sequences belonged to the Gammaherpesvirinae subfamily, but a greater variation was found in Alphaherpesvirinae sequences. This is the first report of systematic herpesvirus DNA and RNA determination in free-ranging cetaceans. Nine (19.14%) were infected with cetacean morbillivirus and all of them (100%) were coinfected with herpesvirus. Lesions similar to those caused by herpesvirus in other species were observed, mainly in the skin, upper digestive tract, genitalia, and central nervous system. Other lesions were also attributable to concomitant etiologies or were nonspecific. It is necessary to investigate the possible role of herpesvirus infection in those cases.
- Subjects :
- Alphaherpesvirinae genetics
Alphaherpesvirinae isolation & purification
Animals
Caniformia
Cattle
Central Nervous System
Coinfection veterinary
Coinfection virology
Female
Gammaherpesvirinae genetics
Gammaherpesvirinae isolation & purification
Herpesviridae classification
Herpesviridae genetics
Morbillivirus genetics
Morbillivirus isolation & purification
Morbillivirus Infections veterinary
Morbillivirus Infections virology
Phylogeny
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Spain
Cetacea virology
Herpesviridae isolation & purification
Herpesviridae Infections veterinary
Herpesviridae Infections virology
Tropism
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1999-4915
- Volume :
- 13
- Issue :
- 11
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Viruses
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 34834986
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3390/v13112180