Pathology, isolation and molecular characterisation of a ranavirus from the common midwife toad Alytes obstetricans on the Iberian Peninsula.
We describe the pathology, isolation and characterisation of a virus responsible for an outbreak of a systemic haemorrhagic disease causing high mortality in tadpoles of the common midwife toad Alytes obstetricans in the 'Picos de Europa' National Park in northern Spain. The virus, provisionally designated as the common midwife toad virus (CMTV), was isolated from homogenates of visceral tissue from diseased toad tadpoles following inoculation on epithelioma papulosum cyprini (EPC) cells. Molecular characterisation of the virus, including sequence analysis of the DNA polymerase and major capsid protein genes, showed that the isolated virus was a ranavirus with marked sequence identity to other members of the genus Ranavirus. A rabbit antiserum raised against purified virions was prepared and used to definitively demonstrate systemic distribution of the virus in diseased tadpoles, indicating that the isolated virus was the primary pathogen.
Balseiro
Ana
A
SERIDA, Servicio Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario, Laboratorio de Sanidad Animal, 33299 Jove, Gijón, Spain. abalseiro@serida.org
Dalton
Kevin P
KP
del Cerro
Ana
A
Marquez
Isabel
I
Cunningham
Andrew A
AA
Parra
Francisco
F
Prieto
José M
JM
Casais
R
R
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002025:Bufonidae / Q000821:virology*; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D007814:Larva / Q000821:virology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017995:Ranavirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013030:Spain; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
D014764:Viral Proteins