scholarly journals Herpesvirus surveillance and discovery in zoo-housed ruminants

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0246162
Author(s):  
Teagen G. Partin ◽  
Mark D. Schrenzel ◽  
Josephine Braun ◽  
Carmel L. Witte ◽  
Steven V. Kubiski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
San Diego ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Interspecies Transmission ◽  
Malignant Catarrhal Fever ◽  
Internal Organs ◽  
Ruminant Species ◽  
Zoological Parks ◽  
Biologic Effects ◽  
Free Ranging

Gammaherpesvirus infections are ubiquitous in captive and free-ranging ruminants and are associated with a variety of clinical diseases ranging from subclinical or mild inflammatory syndromes to fatal diseases such as malignant catarrhal fever. Gammaherpesvirus infections have been fully characterized in only a few ruminant species, and the overall diversity, host range, and biologic effects of most are not known. This study investigated the presence and host distribution of gammaherpesviruses in ruminant species at two facilities, the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park. We tested antemortem (blood, nasal or oropharyngeal swabs) or postmortem (internal organs) samples from 715 healthy or diseased ruminants representing 96 species and subspecies, using a consensus-based herpesvirus PCR for a segment of the DNA polymerase (DPOL) gene. Among the 715 animals tested, 161 (22.5%) were PCR and sequencing positive for herpesvirus, while only 11 (6.83%) of the PCR positive animals showed clinical signs of malignant catarrhal fever. Forty-four DPOL genotypes were identified of which only 10 have been reported in GenBank. The data describe viral diversity within species and individuals, identify host ranges of potential new viruses, and address the proclivity and consequences of interspecies transmission during management practices in zoological parks. The discovery of new viruses with wide host ranges and presence of co-infection within individual animals also suggest that the evolutionary processes influencing Gammaherpesvirus diversity are more complex than previously recognized.

Malignant catarrhal fever in a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (03) ◽  
pp. 165-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Lapp ◽  
C. Förster ◽  
M. Kummrow ◽  
P. Wohlsein ◽  
V. Haist
Keyword(s):  
Close Contact ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Malignant Catarrhal Fever ◽  
Mixed Species ◽  
Course Of Disease ◽  
Ruminant Species ◽  
Multiple Organs ◽  
Reservoir Species ◽  
Potential Contact ◽  
Free Ranging

SummaryMalignant catarrhal fever (MCF) represents a sporadic and often fatal disease in various ungulate species including rarely swine. A close contact between susceptible and reservoir species of ovine herpes-virus-2 (OvHV-2) is a requirement for virus transmission. As in ruminants, a rapid course of disease with lymphohistiocytic meningoencephalitis and necrotizing vasculitis in multiple organs is frequently seen in porcine MCF. This report describes a case of MCF in a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, which was kept in a zoological exhibit with direct contact to various ruminants. It represents the first description of porcine MCF with proven natural OvHV-2 infection in Germany. OvHV-2 should be considered as cause of fatalities among swine especially in mixed-species exhibits as present in many zoological gardens. Also farm pigs kept in free ranging husbandry systems with potential contact to sheep and other ruminant species may be at risk.

scholarly journals Intra-nasal Inoculation of American Bison (Bison bison) with Ovine Herpesvirus-2 (OvHV-2) Reliably Reproduces Malignant Catarrhal Fever

2007 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 655-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. O'Toole ◽  
N. S. Taus ◽  
D. L. Montgomery ◽  
J. L. Oaks ◽  
T. B. Crawford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Bison Bison ◽  
Malignant Catarrhal Fever ◽  
Blood Leukocytes ◽  
Ruminant Species ◽  
Nasal Secretions ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Route Of Exposure

Sheep-associated malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) due to infection with ovine herpesvirus 2 (OvHV-2) is common in commercial herds of American bison ( Bison bison). Inability to propagate OvHV-2 in vitro has been a constraint on experimental studies of the disease. We sought to establish whether nasal secretions from sheep that shed OvHV-2 might induce the disease in bison and to define a minimum challenge dose. Fourteen bison were nebulized with sheep nasal sections containing 103–107 OvHV-2 deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) copies. Most challenged bison (11/14, 78.6%) developed clinical signs at 29–52 days postnebulization (DPN). The mean incubation time was 42.18 (±7.33 SD) DPN. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction, we detected OvHV-2 DNA in peripheral blood leukocytes at 21–31 DPN. All bison that developed MCF had antibodies against the MCF group viruses. Gross and histologic lesions were typical of the acute disease. There was no morphologic evidence of a dose-related difference in the severity or distribution of lesions. This is the first successful reproduction of MCF in bison using a nasal route of exposure. Experimentally challenged bison are more susceptible to MCF, compared with experimentally challenged domestic cattle in a previous experiment. Bison are a pertinent ruminant species in which the pathogenesis of the disease can be investigated.

scholarly journals An Effort to Isolate Mycobacterium bovis from Environmental Substrates during Investigations of Bovine Tuberculosis Transmission Sites (Cattle Farms and Wildlife Areas) in Michigan, USA

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda E. Fine ◽  
Daniel J. O'Brien ◽  
Scott R. Winterstein ◽  
John B. Kaneene
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Bovis ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Interspecies Transmission ◽  
Mycobacterial Culture ◽  
Indirect Transmission ◽  
Tuberculosis Transmission ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Cattle Farms

Deer movements on cattle farms, wildlife feeding, and livestock management practices in Michigan are thought to create opportunities for indirect transmission of Mycobacterium bovis via environmental substrates. To confirm the presence of viable M. bovis in the environment, substrates were collected from 13 farms with culture-confirmed M. bovis in cattle and 5 sites with high prevalence of M. bovis in free-ranging deer. None of the samples processed for mycobacterial culture were positive for M. bovis. Agent, host, and landscape-level factors decrease the probability of detecting M. bovis in the environment using conventional mycobacterial culture. Molecular techniques that increase the probability of M. bovis detection in environmental substrates should be applied to known sites of M. bovis transmission in Michigan. In the interim, epidemiological investigations informed by experimental studies will be most effective in characterizing M. bovis persistence in the environment and its role in the indirect interspecies transmission of M. bovis.

Clinical signs in free-ranging Guiana dolphins Sotalia guianensis during a morbillivirus epidemic: case study in Sepetiba Bay, Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 133 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Flach ◽  
MB Alonso ◽  
T Marinho ◽  
K Van Waerebeek ◽  
MF Van Bressem
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Sepetiba Bay ◽  
Sotalia Guianensis ◽  
Free Ranging

scholarly journals Virus Adaptation Following Experimental Infection of Chickens with a Domestic Duck Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza Isolate from the 2017 USA H7N9 Outbreak Identifies Polymorphic Mutations in Multiple Gene Segments

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1166
Author(s):  
Klaudia Chrzastek ◽  
Karen Segovia ◽  
Mia Torchetti ◽  
Mary Lee Killian ◽  
Mary Pantin-Jackwood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Avian Influenza ◽  
Experimental Infection ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Interspecies Transmission ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Domestic Duck ◽  
Receptor Binding Site ◽  
Synonymous Mutations ◽  
Field Samples ◽  
Virus Adaptation

In March 2017, highly pathogenic (HP) and low pathogenic (LP) avian influenza virus (AIV) subtype H7N9 were detected from poultry farms and backyard birds in several states in the southeast United States. Because interspecies transmission is a known mechanism for evolution of AIVs, we sought to characterize infection and transmission of a domestic duck-origin H7N9 LPAIV in chickens and genetically compare the viruses replicating in the chickens to the original H7N9 clinical field samples used as inoculum. The results of the experimental infection demonstrated virus replication and transmission in chickens, with overt clinical signs of disease and shedding through both oral and cloacal routes. Unexpectedly, higher levels of virus shedding were observed in some cloacal swabs. Next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis identified numerous non-synonymous mutations at the consensus level in the polymerase genes (i.e., PA, PB1, and PB2) and the hemagglutinin (HA) receptor binding site in viruses recovered from chickens, indicating possible virus adaptation in the new host. For comparison, NGS analysis of clinical samples obtained from duck specimen collected during the outbreak indicated three polymorphic sides in the M1 segment and a minor population of viruses carrying the D139N (21.4%) substitution in the NS1 segment. Interestingly, at consensus level, A/duck/Alabama (H7N9) had isoleucine at position 105 in NP protein, similar to HPAIV (H7N9) but not to LPAIV (H7N9) isolated from the same 2017 influenza outbreak in the US. Taken together, this work demonstrates that the H7N9 viruses could readily jump between avian species, which may have contributed to the evolution of the virus and its spread in the region.

scholarly journals Ehlers–Danlos syndrome: how to diagnose and when to perform genetic tests

2014 ◽  
Vol 100 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glenda Sobey
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Correct Diagnosis ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Accurate Diagnosis ◽  
Connective Tissue Disorders ◽  
Internal Organs ◽  
Ehlers Danlos Syndrome ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Danlos Syndrome

The term Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (EDS) encompasses a group of inherited connective tissue disorders. The manifestations of EDS can be seen in skin, joints, blood vessels and internal organs and vary from mild to severe and life threatening. Each subtype is a separate and different condition. The genetic basis of many subtypes has now been elucidated, confirming heterogeneity. An awareness of the different conditions within this group is the starting point towards accurate diagnosis. Accurate elicitation of history and clinical signs is vital in selecting the correct confirmatory investigation. Skin biopsy with electron microscopy can be helpful in the decision process of whether and when to perform genetic testing. Correct diagnosis within the EDSs allows targeted management, family screening and prenatal diagnosis.

scholarly journals Revisiting Ophidiomycosis (Snake Fungal Disease) After a Decade of Targeted Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina M. Davy ◽  
Leonard Shirose ◽  
Doug Campbell ◽  
Rachel Dillon ◽  
Christina McKenzie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Sublethal Effects ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Fungal Disease ◽  
Host Susceptibility ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Molecular Testing ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Snake Fungal Disease ◽  
Free Ranging

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are typically characterized by novelty (recent detection) and by increasing incidence, distribution, and/or pathogenicity. Ophidiomycosis, also called snake fungal disease, is caused by the fungus Ophidiomyces ophidiicola (formerly “ophiodiicola”). Ophidiomycosis has been characterized as an EID and as a potential threat to populations of Nearctic snakes, sparking over a decade of targeted research. However, the severity of this threat is unclear. We reviewed the available literature to quantify incidence and effects of ophidiomycosis in Nearctic snakes, and to evaluate whether the evidence supports the ongoing characterization of ophidiomycosis as an EID. Data from Canada remain scarce, so we supplemented the literature review with surveys for O. ophidiicola in the Canadian Great Lakes region. Peer-reviewed reports of clinical signs consistent with ophidiomycosis in free-ranging, Nearctic snakes date back to at least 1998, and retrospective molecular testing of samples extend the earliest confirmed record to 1986. Diagnostic criteria varied among publications (n = 33), confounding quantitative comparisons. Ophidiomycosis was diagnosed or suspected in 36/121 captive snakes and was fatal in over half of cases (66.7%). This result may implicate captivity-related stress as a risk factor for mortality from ophidiomycosis, but could also reflect reporting bias (i.e., infections are more likely to be detected in captive snakes, and severe cases are more likely to be reported). In contrast, ophidiomycosis was diagnosed or suspected in 441/2,384 free-ranging snakes, with mortality observed in 43 (9.8 %). Ophidiomycosis was only speculatively linked to population declines, and we found no evidence that the prevalence of the pathogen or disease increased over the past decade of targeted research. Supplemental surveys and molecular (qPCR) testing in Ontario, Canada detected O. ophidiicola on 76 of 657 free-ranging snakes sampled across ~136,000 km2. The pathogen was detected at most sites despite limited and haphazard sampling. No large-scale mortality was observed. Current evidence supports previous suggestions that the pathogen is a widespread, previously unrecognized endemic, rather than a novel pathogen. Ophidiomycosis may not pose an imminent threat to Nearctic snakes, but further research should investigate potential sublethal effects of ophidiomycosis such as altered reproductive success that could impact population growth, and explore whether shifting environmental conditions may alter host susceptibility.

Molecular characterisation of ovine herpesvirus type 2 (OvHV-2) in Turkey

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 521-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yakup Yildirim ◽  
Seval Bilge Dağalp ◽  
Volkan Yilmaz ◽  
Ali Faraji Majarashin
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Peripheral Blood Leukocyte ◽  
Malignant Catarrhal Fever ◽  
Molecular Characterisation ◽  
Laboratory Examination ◽  
Chain Reaction ◽  
Herpesvirus Type ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Blood Leukocyte

In this study, the physical examination of 22 cattle revealed clinical signs of malignant catarrhal fever (MCF). Peripheral blood leukocyte (PBL) samples of the 22 cattle, and nasal (n = 7) and conjunctival (n = 9) swab samples from 16 sheep from two different farms, were taken for laboratory examination. The clinical diagnosis of MCF in cows was confirmed by the detection of ovine herpesvirus type 2 (OvHV-2) DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). OvHV-2 DNA was detected by nested-PCR in PBL of one cow with clinical signs and nasal (1/7)-conjunctival(1/9) swab samples of two sheep housed in the same barn. According to the sequence analysis, three slightly divergent viruses were detected. The results indicate the need for additional research in different regions of Turkey to gain a better understanding of the incidence of MCF and its implications for the livestock industry.

Should cats be allowed outdoors? A research survey on animal welfare risks for free-ranging cats in Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-339
Author(s):  
DS Machado ◽  
AFF Bragança ◽  
IC Travnik ◽  
AP Rossi ◽  
AC Sant'Anna
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Research Survey ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Lack Of Knowledge

A need exists for research that contributes to estimating the risk factors associated with the management of outdoor cats (Felis silvestris catus) and addresses the lack of such surveys in Brazil and other Latin American countries. With this in mind we aimed to: i) identify the causal factors affecting the practice of owners allowing their cats to roam freely and; ii) evaluate potential welfare risks associated with the allowance of outdoor access, based on cat owners' reports. An online questionnaire consisting of 25 questions was answered by 8,485 Brazilian cat owners and logistic regression models used to obtain odds ratios. A number of the factors significantly related to owners allowing their cats to have outdoor access were unneutered cats, the manner in which the cat was acquired, residence in rural areas, the number of cats owned, the presence of other pets in the house, younger owner age, owner declaration of not being responsible for the cat, owner perception about the role of the cat in the house, owner knowledge about cats' potential for transmitting diseases, a lack of knowledge about zoonoses, and a lack of knowledge regarding toxoplasmosis. The practice of allowing outdoor access was associated with significantly higher odds of owners reporting several welfare issues, such as frequent flea contamination, sporotrichosis, going missing, poisoning, mistreatment, and accidents. We conclude that the practice of allowing outdoor access, as reported by 37.1% of our respondents, may result in risks to feline welfare. Increasing public awareness through campaigns that highlight the risks associated with outdoor access would improve feline management practices and welfare.

scholarly journals Bovine herpesvirus 4 DNA is not detected in free-ranging domestic cats from California, Colorado or Florida

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elliott Chiu ◽  
Ryan M Troyer ◽  
Michael R Lappin ◽  
Sue VandeWoude
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Tract ◽  
Natural Infection ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Bovine Herpesvirus ◽  
Domestic Cat ◽  
Domestic Cats ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Bovine Herpesvirus 4 ◽  
Herpesvirus 4 ◽  
Free Ranging

Objectives Several studies have reported that domestic cats can be naturally infected with bovine herpesvirus 4 (BHV4). Cats experimentally inoculated with BHV4 developed clinical signs involving the urinary tract, leading to the hypothesis that natural infection with BHV4 may be associated with feline lower urinary tract diseases. However, the question of whether BHV4 infection is common in cats remains equivocal. In this study, we sought to determine whether BHV4 is a common natural infection of domestic cats in the USA. Methods We used a sensitive nested PCR protocol specific to the BHV4 thymidine kinase gene to screen free-ranging domestic cat blood DNA samples (n = 101) collected from California, Colorado and Florida. Results Cats within this cohort were positive for seven other common pathogens of domestic cats, demonstrating the relatively high exposure of this population to endemic feline infections. In contrast, all domestic cat blood samples were negative for BHV4, while BHV4-containing tissue culture extracts were strongly positive. Conclusions and relevance BHV4 has been detected in tissues of latently infected cattle, though viral DNA is typically also detected in peripheral blood cells throughout infection. Our results suggest that persistent presence of BHV4 DNA in the blood of domestic cats is either rare or non-existent. We thus conclude that BHV4 is unlikely to be a major pathogen of cats.

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