title: Identification of DNA sequences that imply a novel gammaherpesvirus in seals.
abstract: Various herpesviruses have been discovered in marine mammals and are associated with a wide spectrum of disease. In the present study we describe the detection and phylogenetic analysis of a novel gammaherpesvirus, tentatively called phocine herpesvirus 7 (PhHV-7), which was detected in samples collected during an outbreak of ulcerative gingivitis and glossitis from juvenile harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) at the Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre, the Netherlands. The presence of this novel gammaherpesvirus was confirmed by viral metagenomics, while no other viruses other than four novel anelloviruses were detected. However, PhHV-7 DNA was also detected in harbour and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) without gingivitis or glossitis. Genetic analysis of the partial polymerase gene of PhHV-7 detected in both species revealed limited sequence variation. Additional studies are needed to elucidate whether the viruses discovered played a role in the disease observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rogier
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bodewes
authors.affiliation: Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre, Pieterburen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Guillermo J Sánchez
authors.initials: GJS
authors.lastname: Contreras
authors.affiliation: Seal Rehabilitation and Research Centre, Pieterburen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ana Rubio
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: García
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rebriarina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hapsari
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marco W G
authors.initials: MWG
authors.lastname: van de Bildt
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Thijs
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuiken
authors.affiliation: Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.|Centre for Infection Medicine and Zoonoses Research, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany.|Artemis Research Institute for Wildlife Health, Utrecht, the Netherlands.|Viroclinics Biosciences BV, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Albert D M E
authors.initials: ADME
authors.lastname: Osterhaus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D018142:Gammaherpesvirinae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009426:Netherlands; D046049:Phoca / Q000821:virology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral