title: Densovirus associated with sea-star wasting disease and mass mortality.
abstract: Populations of at least 20 asteroid species on the Northeast Pacific Coast have recently experienced an extensive outbreak of sea-star (asteroid) wasting disease (SSWD). The disease leads to behavioral changes, lesions, loss of turgor, limb autotomy, and death characterized by rapid degradation ("melting"). Here, we present evidence from experimental challenge studies and field observations that link the mass mortalities to a densovirus (Parvoviridae). Virus-sized material (i.e., <0.2 μm) from symptomatic tissues that was inoculated into asymptomatic asteroids consistently resulted in SSWD signs whereas animals receiving heat-killed (i.e., control) virus-sized inoculum remained asymptomatic. Viral metagenomic investigations revealed the sea star-associated densovirus (SSaDV) as the most likely candidate virus associated with tissues from symptomatic asteroids. Quantification of SSaDV during transmission trials indicated that progression of SSWD paralleled increased SSaDV load. In field surveys, SSaDV loads were more abundant in symptomatic than in asymptomatic asteroids. SSaDV could be detected in plankton, sediments and in nonasteroid echinoderms, providing a possible mechanism for viral spread. SSaDV was detected in museum specimens of asteroids from 1942, suggesting that it has been present on the North American Pacific Coast for at least 72 y. SSaDV is therefore the most promising candidate disease agent responsible for asteroid mass mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853; hewson@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hewson
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853;
authors.forename: Jason B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Button
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853;
authors.forename: Brent M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Gudenkauf
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225;
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Miner
authors.affiliation: Zoological Health Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, NY 10460;
authors.forename: Alisa L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616;
authors.forename: Joseph K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Gaydos
authors.affiliation: California Science Center, Los Angeles, CA 90089;
authors.forename: Janna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wynne
authors.affiliation: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA 90007;
authors.forename: Cathy L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Groves
authors.affiliation: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA 90007;
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hendler
authors.affiliation: Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, CA 93940;
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: Olympic National Park, National Parks Service, Port Angeles, WA 98362;
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fradkin
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL 33701;
authors.forename: Mya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Breitbart
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL 33701;
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fahsbender
authors.affiliation: Western Ecological Research Center, US Geological Survey c/o Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106;
authors.forename: Kevin D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Lafferty
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064;
authors.forename: A Marm
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kilpatrick
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064;
authors.forename: C Melissa
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Miner
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064;
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Raimondi
authors.affiliation: Seattle Aquarium, Seattle, WA 98101;
authors.forename: Lesanna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lahner
authors.affiliation: School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195;
authors.forename: Carolyn S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269;
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Daniels
authors.affiliation: Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6G 3E2; and.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haulena
authors.affiliation: Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6G 3E2; and.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marliave
authors.affiliation: School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195; Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
authors.forename: Colleen A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Burge
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
authors.forename: Morgan E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Eisenlord
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
authors.forename: C Drew
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Harvell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017990:Densovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; D005843:Geography; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000821:virology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D054892:Metagenome / Q000235:genetics; D009656:North America; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D010802:Phylogeny; D010933:Plankton / Q000821:virology; D011156:Population Density; D011157:Population Dynamics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012623:Seawater / Q000821:virology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013215:Starfish / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins
keywords: Asteroidea; densovirus; disease; virus; wasting