title: HERPESVIRUSES INCLUDING NOVEL GAMMAHERPESVIRUSES ARE WIDESPREAD AMONG PHOCID SEAL SPECIES IN CANADA.
abstract: Little is known about herpesviruses in Canadian pinnipeds. We measured prevalence of antibodies to herpesviruses in the sera from Canadian phocid seals by an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Wild harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and captive harbor seals were positive for antibodies to Phocid herpesvirus 1 (PhoHV-1) at prevalences of 91% and 100%, respectively. Sera from wild hooded seals (Cystophora cristata), harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandica), and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) were positive for antibodies to PhoHV-1 antigenically related herpesvirus antigens at 73%, 79%, and 96%, respectively. We isolated new herpesviruses in cell culture from two hunter-harvested ringed seals (Pusa hispida) in poor body condition from Ulukhaktok, Northwest Territories, Canada; one lethargic hooded seal from the St. Lawrence Estuary, Québec, Canada; and one captive, asymptomatic harp seal from the Magdalen Islands, Québec. Partial sequencing of the herpesvirus DNA polymerase gene revealed that all four virus isolates were closely related to PhoHV-2, a member of the Gammaherpesvirinae subfamily, with nucleotide similarity ranging between 92.8% and 95.3%. The new seal herpesviruses were genetically related to other known pinniped herpesviruses, such as PhoHV-1, Otariid herpesvirus 3, Hawaiian monk (Monachus schauinslandi) seal herpesvirus, and Phocid herpesvirus 5 with 47-48%, 55%, 77%, and 70-77% nucleotide similarities, respectively. The harp seal herpesvirus and both ringed seal herpesviruses were almost identical to each other, whereas the hooded seal herpesvirus was genetically different from the three others (92.8% nucleotide similarity), indicating detection of at least two novel seal herpesviruses. These findings are the first isolation, partial genome sequencing, and identification of seal gammaherpesviruses in three species of Canadian phocid seals; two species of which were suspected of exposure to one or more antigenically related herpesviruses based on serologic analyses.
authors.affiliation: 1  The Swine and Poultry Infectious Diseases Research Center (CRIPA), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 rue Sicotte, St-Hyacinthe, Québec J2S 7C6, Canada.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bellehumeur
authors.affiliation: 2  Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N6, Canada.
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: 3  Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Maurice Lamontagne Institute, 850 route de la Mer, Mont-Joli, Quebec G5H 3Z4, Canada.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Measures
authors.affiliation: 4  Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 301 5204-50th Avenue, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories X1A 1E2, Canada.
authors.forename: Lois
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Harwood
authors.affiliation: 5  University of California at Davis, Wildlife Health Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, 1089 Veterinary Medicine Drive, Davis, California 95616, USA.
authors.forename: Tracey
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.affiliation: 6  Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.affiliation: 1  The Swine and Poultry Infectious Diseases Research Center (CRIPA), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 rue Sicotte, St-Hyacinthe, Québec J2S 7C6, Canada.
authors.forename: Carl A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Gagnon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D016384:Consensus Sequence; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D018142:Gammaherpesvirinae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D046048:Seals, Earless
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral
keywords: DPOL gene; ELISA; herpesvirus; phocid seals; serologic survey; virus isolation