title: In vitro and in vivo replication of seal gammaherpesviruses in cells of multiple species.
abstract: Phocid herpesvirus virus type 2 (PhHV-2), a putative gammaherpesvirus of seals, has been isolated from harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus). In the present study, different PhHV-2 isolates were shown to have a broad in vitro tropism for various cell types from several mammalian species. Inbred mice and two species of non-human primates proved to be susceptible to experimental infection with PhHV-2. The development of myoepitheliomas and spleen hyperplasia upon cyclosporin A treatment in some of the PhHV-2-infected animals warrants further investigation of the oncogenic and zoonotic potential of this virus.
authors.affiliation: Erasmus Medical Centre, Institute of Virology, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Byron E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Martina
authors.forename: Georges M G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Verjans
authors.forename: Thijs
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuiken
authors.forename: Geert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van Amerongen
authors.forename: Albert D M E
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D006224:Cricetinae; D004285:Dogs; D004289:Dolphins; D005260:Female; D005289:Ferrets; D018142:Gammaherpesvirinae / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D000882:Haplorhini; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011817:Rabbits; D046048:Seals, Earless / Q000821:virology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology*; D014779:Virus Replication; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000821:virology