title: Widespread occurrence in Australian marsupials of neutralizing antibodies to a herpesvirus from a parma wallaby.
abstract: Serum neutralizing antibodies to a parma wallaby herpesvirus (PWHV) have been detected in a wide range of marsupials from different locations across Australia, including several islands. A study of 242 animals (mostly macropods) sampled in the wild showed that 23% had antibodies; a significantly higher frequency (41%) of 116 animals in captivity had antibodies, which were generally at higher levels than those of animals in the wild. Antibodies to PWHV were also detected among parma wallabies from a colony on Kawau Island, New Zealand. The highest antibody levels were found in a group of captive tammar wallabies during recurrent outbreaks of clinical infection. It is suggested that PWHV has evolved along with a marsupial host, and that the high antibody levels among captive animals reflects ease of virus transmission due to crowding, or to conditions of stress leading to expression of latent virus.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D001315:Australia; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000276:immunology*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D007614:Macropodidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D008394:Marsupialia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D009520:New Zealand
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral