title: Development of a Serological Assay for the Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) Anellovirus, ZcAV.
abstract: New diseases in marine animals are emerging at an increasing rate, yet methodological limitations hinder characterization of viral infections. Viral metagenomics is an effective method for identifying novel viruses in diseased animals; however, determining virus pathogenesis remains a challenge. A novel anellovirus (Zalophus californianus anellovirus, ZcAV) was recently reported in the lungs of captive California sea lions involved in a mortality event. ZcAV was not detected by PCR in the blood of these animals, creating the inability to assess the prevalence of ZcAV in live sea lions. This study developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect antibodies to ZcAV in sea lion serum. To assess ZcAV prevalence, paired serum and lung samples (n = 96) from wild sea lions that stranded along the California coast were tested through ELISA and PCR, respectively. Over 50% of the samples tested positive for ZcAV by ELISA (34%), PCR (29%), or both (11%) assays. ZcAV is prevalent in stranded wild sea lion populations and results suggest that PCR assays alone may grossly underestimate ZcAV exposure. This ELISA provides a tool for testing live sea lions for ZcAV exposure and is valuable for subsequent studies evaluating the potential pathogenicity of this anellovirus.
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, 140 7th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701 USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fahsbender
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, 140 7th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701 USA.
authors.forename: Karyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rosario
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida, College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 801 6th Street South, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701 USA.
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cannon
authors.affiliation: The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito, CA 94965 USA.
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gulland
authors.affiliation: University of South Florida, College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 801 6th Street South, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701 USA.
authors.forename: Larry J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Dishaw
authors.affiliation: 1] University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, 140 7th Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701 USA [2] University of South Florida, College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 801 6th Street South, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701 USA.
authors.forename: Mya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Breitbart
mesh_terms: D049811:Anelloviridae; D000818:Animals; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000097:blood*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D046070:Sea Lions
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral