title: Aleutian Disease: An Emerging Disease in Free-Ranging Striped Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) From California.
abstract: Aleutian disease virus (ADV, Amdovirus, Parvoviridae) primarily infects farmed mustelids (mink and ferrets) but also other fur-bearing animals and humans. Three Aleutian disease (AD) cases have been described in captive striped skunks; however, little is known about the relevance of AD in free-ranging carnivores. This work describes the pathological findings and temporospatial distribution in 7 cases of AD in free-ranging striped skunks. All cases showed neurologic disease and were found in a 46-month period (2010-2013) within a localized geographical region in California. Lesions included multisystemic plasmacytic and lymphocytic inflammation (ie, interstitial nephritis, myocarditis, hepatitis, meningoencephalitis, pneumonia, and splenitis), glomerulonephritis, arteritis with or without fibrinoid necrosis in several organs (ie, kidney, heart, brain, and spleen), splenomegaly, ascites/hydrothorax, and/or encephalomalacia with cerebral microangiopathy. ADV infection was confirmed in all cases by specific polymerase chain reaction and/or in situ hybridization. The results suggest that AD is an emerging disease in free-ranging striped skunks in California.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: E E B
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: LaDouceur
authors.affiliation: California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Laboratory, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Ritchie
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Laboratory, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ciembor
authors.affiliation: California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rimoldi
authors.affiliation: WildCare, San Rafael, CA, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piazza
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Laboratory, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pesti
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Investigations Laboratory, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Rancho Cordova, CA, USA Department of Veterinary Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Clifford
authors.affiliation: California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA fgiannitti@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giannitti
mesh_terms: D000453:Aleutian Mink Disease / Q000821:virology*; D000454:Aleutian Mink Disease Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000662:veterinary; D012889:Mephitidae / Q000821:virology*; D008907:Mink / Q000821:virology*
keywords: Mephitis mephitis; Parvoviridae; fibrinoid arteritis; infectious diseases; nephritis; pathology; striped skunk; wildlife