title: Identification and isolation of psittacid herpesvirus from psittacids in Brazil.
abstract: Psittacid herpesvirus (PsHV) was isolated from 41 birds kept in captivity in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais/Brazil using chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) cell cultures. For this study, leukocytes or cloacal swabs of live birds were used. Also, portions of liver, spleen or kidney from birds collected at necropsy were utilized for these tests. PCR tests confirmed the presence of PsHV in 100% of samples. Thirty-three of the PCR products were sequenced and the results disclosed a 99% and 100% identity when compared with other sequences PsHV-1 (AY372243.1 and AF261756.1), previously deposited in GenBank. In addition, histopathology was performed and 19 of the 29 birds contained random multifocal lymphoplasmacytic hepatitis with necrotic foci, suggestive of viral infection. Three samples were examined by electron microscopy to visualize the viral particles obtained from cell culture. The viral structures measured 269 nm in average, had envelopes with an icosahedral capsid and tegument, consistent with herpesvirus. Thus, a total of 41 isolates were obtained from PsHV cell cultivation in CEF, confirming the circulation of the virus between parrots kept in captivity in Belo Horizonte, and affirming the importance of further studies in this area.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Virologia Comparada, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. mmluppi@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Marcela Miranda
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Luppi
authors.forename: Ana Paula Moreira Franco
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Luiz
authors.forename: Fabiana Magalhães
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Coelho
authors.forename: Marcelo de Campos Cordeiro
authors.initials: Mde C
authors.lastname: Malta
authors.forename: Ingred Sales
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Preis
authors.forename: Roselene
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ecco
authors.forename: Flávio Guimarães
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: da Fonseca
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Resende
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D001938:Brazil; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002988:Cloaca / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000821:virology; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D010311:Parrots / Q000821:virology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral