title: Detection of a respiratory coronavirus from tissues archived during a pneumonia epizootic in free-ranging Pacific harbor seals Phoca vitulina richardsii.
abstract: In June 2000, 21 adult harbor seals Phoca vitulina richardsii were found dead along a localized section of the central California coast. Necropsy of 5 fresh carcasses revealed pulmonary congestion, consolidation, and hemorrhage. Histopathological changes in lungs from 2 of these seals included a necrotizing lymphocytic and histocytic lobar pneumonia with intra-lesional bacteria. A coronavirus (CoV) was detected in archived tissues from 1 of the 5 seals via a degenerate PCR for nidoviral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), and was subsequently confirmed via specific PCR. Based on the partial RdRp sequence, the CoV was identified as a novel, divergent member of the CoV group 1a. The virus is tentatively named harbor seal coronavirus (HSCoV). The clinical significance of HSCoV and its involvement in the etiology of the epizootic pneumonia and deaths of the harbor seals is uncertain.
authors.affiliation: Marine Mammal Health Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA. nollensh@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu
authors.forename: Hendrik H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Nollens
authors.forename: James F X
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Wellehan
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Archer
authors.forename: Linda J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Lowenstine
authors.forename: Frances M D
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Gulland
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017934:Coronavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D008297:Male; D046049:Phoca; D010802:Phylogeny; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase