Varanid herpesvirus 1: a novel herpesvirus associated with proliferative stomatitis in green tree monitors (Varanus prasinus).
Stomatitis is a common problem in lizards, and the etiologies of stomatitis in lizards are not well understood. Four green tree monitor lizards (Varanus prasinus) from two different collections were evaluated because of proliferative stomatitis. Degenerate PCR primers targeting a conserved region of herpesvirus DNA-dependent DNA polymerase were used to amplify and sequence a product from gingival tissue of three of four lizards (cases 1, 3, and 4). DNA in situ hybridization of tissues from three lizards was positive for herpesvirus in the oral mucosa of all three lizards tested (cases 1-3) and the brain of two lizards (cases 1 and 3). Comparative sequence analysis suggests that this virus is a novel member of the subfamily alpha-herpesvirinae, and is here termed varanid herpesvirus 1.
Wellehan
James F X
JF
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA. wellehanj@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu
Johnson
April J
AJ
Latimer
Kenneth S
KS
Whiteside
Douglas P
DP
Crawshaw
Graham J
GJ
Detrisac
Carol J
CJ
Terrell
Scott P
SP
Heard
Darryl J
DJ
Childress
April
A
Jacobson
Elliott R
ER
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D008116:Lizards / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000821:virology; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D013283:Stomatitis, Herpetic / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology
D004279:DNA, Viral