title: Morbillivirus infection in cetaceans of the western Atlantic.
abstract: We report serologic evidence of morbillivirus infection in eleven of fifteen species of odontocete cetaceans from the western Atlantic since 1986. Blood samples were obtained both from free-ranging and stranded animals. Virus neutralizing titers were higher against porpoise and dolphin morbilliviruses than against peste des petits ruminants virus, phocine distemper virus or canine distemper virus (CDV). Serum from five species, tested in a heterologous immunoprecipitation assay using radiolabelled CDV, precipitated the nucleocapsid (N) protein. Clinical morbillivirus infection may potentially impact already threatened species such as the harbour porpoise and precipitate mass strandings of socially cohesive odontocetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Canada.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Duignan
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: House
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Geraci
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Duffy
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Rima
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Early
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: St Aubin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sadove
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koopman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D004289:Dolphins / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D018103:Morbillivirus / Q000737:chemistry; D018185:Morbillivirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D014907:Whales / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins