title: Mass die-Off of Caspian seals caused by canine distemper virus.
abstract: Thousands of Caspian seals (Phoca caspica) died in the Caspian Sea from April to August 2000. Lesions characteristic of morbillivirus infection were found in tissue specimens from dead seals. Canine distemper virus infection was identified by serologic examination, reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction, and sequencing of selected P gene fragments. These results implicate canine distemper virus infection as the primary cause of death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Belfast, Northern Ireland. seamus.kennedy@dardni.gov.uk
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuiken
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Jepson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Deaville
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Forsyth
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: van de Bildt
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eybatov
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duck
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kydyrmanov
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mitrofanov
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002423:Cause of Death; D004217:Distemper Virus, Canine / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D046048:Seals, Earless / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral