Herpesvirus Infection in a Breeding Population of Two Coexisting <i>Strix</i> Owls

Birds are a frequent host of a large variety of herpesviruses, and infections in them may go unnoticed or may result in fatal disease. In wild breeding populations of owls, there is very limited information about the presence, impact, and potential transmission of herpesvirus. The herpesvirus partia...

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Main Authors: Zoran Žlabravec, Al Vrezec, Brigita Slavec, Urška Kuhar, Olga Zorman Rojs, Joško Račnik
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
Series:Animals
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/9/2519
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author Zoran Žlabravec
Al Vrezec
Brigita Slavec
Urška Kuhar
Olga Zorman Rojs
Joško Račnik
author_facet Zoran Žlabravec
Al Vrezec
Brigita Slavec
Urška Kuhar
Olga Zorman Rojs
Joško Račnik
author_sort Zoran Žlabravec
collection DOAJ
description Birds are a frequent host of a large variety of herpesviruses, and infections in them may go unnoticed or may result in fatal disease. In wild breeding populations of owls, there is very limited information about the presence, impact, and potential transmission of herpesvirus. The herpesvirus partial DNA polymerase gene was detected using polymerase chain reaction in oropharyngeal swabs of 16 out of 170 owls examined that were captured in or near nest boxes. Herpesvirus was detected in Ural owls (<i>Strix uralensis</i>), in both adults and young, but not in tawny owls (<i>Strix aluco</i>). In yellow-necked mice (<i>Apodemus flavicollis</i>), as the main prey of tawny owls and Ural owls in the area, herpesvirus was detected in the organs of 2 out of 40 mice captured at the same locations as the owls. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the herpesvirus sequences detected in the Ural owls differed from the herpesvirus sequences detected in the yellow-necked mice. The results indicate that herpesvirus infection exists in the breeding wild Ural owl population. However, herpesvirus-infected owls did not show any clinical or productivity deviances and, based on a phylogenetic comparison of detected herpesvirus sequences and sequences obtained from Genbank database, it seems that mice and other rodents are not the source of owl infections. The most probable transmission pathway is intraspecific, especially from adults to their chicks, but the origin of herpesvirus in owls remains to be investigated.
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spelling doaj.art-7d7b7cd331d34870897e45cc8c1be8842023-11-22T11:41:21ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152021-08-01119251910.3390/ani11092519Herpesvirus Infection in a Breeding Population of Two Coexisting <i>Strix</i> OwlsZoran Žlabravec0Al Vrezec1Brigita Slavec2Urška Kuhar3Olga Zorman Rojs4Joško Račnik5Institute of Poultry, Birds, Small Mammals, and Reptiles, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaNational Institute of Biology, Department for Organisms and Ecosystems Research, Večna pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaInstitute of Poultry, Birds, Small Mammals, and Reptiles, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaInstitute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaInstitute of Poultry, Birds, Small Mammals, and Reptiles, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaInstitute of Poultry, Birds, Small Mammals, and Reptiles, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, SloveniaBirds are a frequent host of a large variety of herpesviruses, and infections in them may go unnoticed or may result in fatal disease. In wild breeding populations of owls, there is very limited information about the presence, impact, and potential transmission of herpesvirus. The herpesvirus partial DNA polymerase gene was detected using polymerase chain reaction in oropharyngeal swabs of 16 out of 170 owls examined that were captured in or near nest boxes. Herpesvirus was detected in Ural owls (<i>Strix uralensis</i>), in both adults and young, but not in tawny owls (<i>Strix aluco</i>). In yellow-necked mice (<i>Apodemus flavicollis</i>), as the main prey of tawny owls and Ural owls in the area, herpesvirus was detected in the organs of 2 out of 40 mice captured at the same locations as the owls. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the herpesvirus sequences detected in the Ural owls differed from the herpesvirus sequences detected in the yellow-necked mice. The results indicate that herpesvirus infection exists in the breeding wild Ural owl population. However, herpesvirus-infected owls did not show any clinical or productivity deviances and, based on a phylogenetic comparison of detected herpesvirus sequences and sequences obtained from Genbank database, it seems that mice and other rodents are not the source of owl infections. The most probable transmission pathway is intraspecific, especially from adults to their chicks, but the origin of herpesvirus in owls remains to be investigated.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/9/2519wildlifepredator-prey interactiondisease transmissionUral owltawny owlyellow-necked mouse
spellingShingle Zoran Žlabravec
Al Vrezec
Brigita Slavec
Urška Kuhar
Olga Zorman Rojs
Joško Račnik
Herpesvirus Infection in a Breeding Population of Two Coexisting <i>Strix</i> Owls
Animals
wildlife
predator-prey interaction
disease transmission
Ural owl
tawny owl
yellow-necked mouse
title Herpesvirus Infection in a Breeding Population of Two Coexisting <i>Strix</i> Owls
title_full Herpesvirus Infection in a Breeding Population of Two Coexisting <i>Strix</i> Owls
title_fullStr Herpesvirus Infection in a Breeding Population of Two Coexisting <i>Strix</i> Owls
title_full_unstemmed Herpesvirus Infection in a Breeding Population of Two Coexisting <i>Strix</i> Owls
title_short Herpesvirus Infection in a Breeding Population of Two Coexisting <i>Strix</i> Owls
title_sort herpesvirus infection in a breeding population of two coexisting i strix i owls
topic wildlife
predator-prey interaction
disease transmission
Ural owl
tawny owl
yellow-necked mouse
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/9/2519
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AT brigitaslavec herpesvirusinfectioninabreedingpopulationoftwocoexistingistrixiowls
AT urskakuhar herpesvirusinfectioninabreedingpopulationoftwocoexistingistrixiowls
AT olgazormanrojs herpesvirusinfectioninabreedingpopulationoftwocoexistingistrixiowls
AT joskoracnik herpesvirusinfectioninabreedingpopulationoftwocoexistingistrixiowls