Systematic Determination of Herpesvirus in Free-Ranging Cetaceans Stranded in the Western Mediterranean: Tissue Tropism and Associated Lesions
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...
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| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/11/2180 |
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| author | Ignacio Vargas-Castro Mar Melero José Luis Crespo-Picazo María de los Ángeles Jiménez Eva Sierra Consuelo Rubio-Guerri Manuel Arbelo Antonio Fernández Daniel García-Párraga José Manuel Sánchez-Vizcaíno |
| author_facet | Ignacio Vargas-Castro Mar Melero José Luis Crespo-Picazo María de los Ángeles Jiménez Eva Sierra Consuelo Rubio-Guerri Manuel Arbelo Antonio Fernández Daniel García-Párraga José Manuel Sánchez-Vizcaíno |
| author_sort | Ignacio Vargas-Castro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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 <i>Gammaherpesvirinae</i> subfamily, but a greater variation was found in <i>Alphaherpesvirinae</i> 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:58:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2e96b52af2be4d8f84fe852967c69806 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:58:56Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-2e96b52af2be4d8f84fe852967c698062023-11-23T01:56:14ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152021-10-011311218010.3390/v13112180Systematic Determination of Herpesvirus in Free-Ranging Cetaceans Stranded in the Western Mediterranean: Tissue Tropism and Associated LesionsIgnacio Vargas-Castro0Mar Melero1José Luis Crespo-Picazo2María de los Ángeles Jiménez3Eva Sierra4Consuelo Rubio-Guerri5Manuel Arbelo6Antonio Fernández7Daniel García-Párraga8José Manuel Sánchez-Vizcaíno9VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre and Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainVISAVET Health Surveillance Centre and Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainResearch Department, Fundación Oceanogràfic de la Comunitat Valenciana, 46013 Valencia, SpainDepartment of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary Faculty, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainDivision of Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute for Animal Health, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35416 Canary Islands, SpainVISAVET Health Surveillance Centre and Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainDivision of Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute for Animal Health, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35416 Canary Islands, SpainDivision of Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute for Animal Health, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35416 Canary Islands, SpainResearch Department, Fundación Oceanogràfic de la Comunitat Valenciana, 46013 Valencia, SpainVISAVET Health Surveillance Centre and Animal Health Department, Veterinary School, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, SpainThe 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 <i>Gammaherpesvirinae</i> subfamily, but a greater variation was found in <i>Alphaherpesvirinae</i> 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.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/11/2180dolphinherpesviruslatencymarine mammalcoinfectionmorbillivirus |
| spellingShingle | Ignacio Vargas-Castro Mar Melero José Luis Crespo-Picazo María de los Ángeles Jiménez Eva Sierra Consuelo Rubio-Guerri Manuel Arbelo Antonio Fernández Daniel García-Párraga José Manuel Sánchez-Vizcaíno Systematic Determination of Herpesvirus in Free-Ranging Cetaceans Stranded in the Western Mediterranean: Tissue Tropism and Associated Lesions Viruses dolphin herpesvirus latency marine mammal coinfection morbillivirus |
| title | Systematic Determination of Herpesvirus in Free-Ranging Cetaceans Stranded in the Western Mediterranean: Tissue Tropism and Associated Lesions |
| title_full | Systematic Determination of Herpesvirus in Free-Ranging Cetaceans Stranded in the Western Mediterranean: Tissue Tropism and Associated Lesions |
| title_fullStr | Systematic Determination of Herpesvirus in Free-Ranging Cetaceans Stranded in the Western Mediterranean: Tissue Tropism and Associated Lesions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Systematic Determination of Herpesvirus in Free-Ranging Cetaceans Stranded in the Western Mediterranean: Tissue Tropism and Associated Lesions |
| title_short | Systematic Determination of Herpesvirus in Free-Ranging Cetaceans Stranded in the Western Mediterranean: Tissue Tropism and Associated Lesions |
| title_sort | systematic determination of herpesvirus in free ranging cetaceans stranded in the western mediterranean tissue tropism and associated lesions |
| topic | dolphin herpesvirus latency marine mammal coinfection morbillivirus |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/11/2180 |
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