A novel gammaherpesvirus associated with genital lesions in a Blainville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris).
An adult male Blainville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris) was found stranded on the Atlantic coast of the USA on 28 January 2004. Necropsy revealed a focal papilloma-like penile lesion, the cells from which revealed single 4-6 microm basophilic intranuclear inclusions. Total DNA extracted from lesion material was tested using a pan-herpes-virus PCR assay that targets the DNA polymerase gene and found to be positive. When the amplified DNA fragment was cloned, sequenced, and compared to GenBank-deposited herpesvirus DNA polymerase sequences, the detected virus was determined to be a distinct member of the Gammaherpesvirinae subfamily of herpesviruses. This new virus, tentatively named Ziphiid herpesvirus type 1, was associated with but not determined to be the cause of genital disease in the Blainville's beaked whale.
Saliki
Jeremiah T
JT
Oklahoma Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, USA. jsaliki@uga.edu
Cooper
Emily J
EJ
Rotstein
David S
DS
Caseltine
Shannon L
SL
Pabst
D Ann
DA
McLellan
William A
WA
Govett
Pamela
P
Harms
Craig
C
Smolarek
Kara A
KA
Romero
Carlos H
CH
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D018142:Gammaherpesvirinae / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D014907:Whales / Q000821:virology*
D004279:DNA, Viral