title: Herpes virus infection associated with interstitial nephritis in a beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The capacity for herpesvirus to cause disease in cetaceans is unclear and may be varied depending on the different conditions of individuals and between different species. Kidney pathology and intralesional virus-associated infection have been rarely reported in cetaceans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On April 2004, an old adult male Blainville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris) 420 cm long with a poor body condition was stranded on Tenerife Island. During necropsy, no gross lesions were observed in the kidneys. However, membranous glomerulonephritis, multifocal interstitial lymphoplasmacytic nephritis and acute multifocal necrotizing tubulointerstitial nephritis with intranuclear inclusion bodies was diagnosed by histological analysis. Tissue samples were submitted for bacteriological analysis and molecular viral screening.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A novel alpha herpesvirus associated with interstitial nephritis was identified in an old adult male Blainville's beaked whale (M. densirostris) with a poor body condition stranded in the Canary Islands. This report suggests that identification of herpesvirus infection could be used as a differential diagnosis for interstitial nephritis in cetaceans.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Veterinary Histology and Pathology, Institute for Animal Health (IUSA), Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arbelo
authors.forename: Edwige N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Bellière
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sierra
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sacchinni
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Esperón
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andrada
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rivero
authors.forename: Josue
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Diaz-Delgado
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000662:veterinary; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009395:Nephritis, Interstitial / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013030:Spain; D014907:Whales / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral