RT Journal Article
T1 First molecular detection and characterization of herpesvirus and poxvirus in a Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)
A1 Melero Asensio, Mar
A1 García Párraga, Daniel
A1 Corpa, Juan Manuel
A1 Ortega, Joaquín
A1 Rubio Guerri, Consuelo
A1 Crespo, José Luis
A1 Rivera Arroyo, Belén
A1 Sánchez-Vizcaíno Rodríguez, José Manuel
AB BACKGROUNDHerpesvirus and poxvirus can infect a wide range of species: herpesvirus genetic material has been detected and amplified in five species of the superfamily Pinnipedia; poxvirus genetic material, in eight species of Pinnipedia. To date, however, genetic material of these viruses has not been detected in walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), another marine mammal of the Pinnipedia clade, even though anti-herpesvirus antibodies have been detected in these animals.CASE PRESENTATIONIn February 2013, a 9-year-old healthy captive female Pacific walrus died unexpectedly at L'Oceanografic (Valencia, Spain). Herpesvirus was detected in pharyngeal tonsil tissue by PCR. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the virus belongs to the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae. Poxvirus was also detected by PCR in skin, pre-scapular and tracheobronchial lymph nodes and tonsils. Gross lesions were not detected in any tissue, but histopathological analyses of pharyngeal tonsils and lymph nodes revealed remarkable lymphoid depletion and lymphocytolysis. Similar histopathological lesions have been previously described in bovine calves infected with an alphaherpesvirus, and in northern elephant seals infected with a gammaherpesvirus that is closely related to the herpesvirus found in this case. Intracytoplasmic eosinophilic inclusion bodies, consistent with poxviral infection, were also observed in the epithelium of the tonsilar mucosa.CONCLUSIONTo our knowledge, this is the first molecular identification of herpesvirus and poxvirus in a walrus. Neither virus was likely to have contributed directly to the death of our animal.
PB BioMedCentral
SN 1746-6148
YR 2014
FD 2014-12-21
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/35272
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/35272
LA eng
DS Docta Complutense
RD 12 abr 2025