title: Metagenomic identification of a novel anellovirus in Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardsii) lung samples and its detection in samples from multiple years.
abstract: To investigate viral pathogens potentially involved in a mortality event of 21 Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsii) in California in 2000, viral metagenomics was performed directly on lung samples from five individuals. Metagenomics revealed a novel seal anellovirus (SealAV), which clusters phylogenetically with anelloviruses from California sea lions and domestic cats. Using specific PCR, SealAV was identified in lung tissue from two of five animals involved in the 2000 mortality event, as well as one of 20 harbor seal samples examined post-mortem in 2008. The identification of SealAV in multiple years demonstrates that this virus is persistent in the harbor seal population. SealAV is the second anellovirus reported in the lungs of pinnipeds, suggesting that anellovirus infections may be common amongst marine mammals and that more research is needed to understand the roles of these viruses in marine mammal health and disease.
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida College of Marine Science, 140 7th Avenue South, St Petersburg, FL 33701, USA.
authors.forename: Terry Fei Fan
authors.initials: TFF
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: The Marine Mammal Center, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.affiliation: The Marine Mammal Center, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Greig
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.|Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Waltzek
authors.affiliation: The Marine Mammal Center, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA.
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gulland
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida College of Marine Science, 140 7th Avenue South, St Petersburg, FL 33701, USA.
authors.forename: Mya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Breitbart
mesh_terms: D049811:Anelloviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000821:virology; D002140:California; D002415:Cats / Q000821:virology; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D016679:Genome, Viral; D008168:Lung / Q000821:virology*; D056186:Metagenomics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D046049:Phoca / Q000821:virology*; D010802:Phylogeny