title: A novel alphaherpesvirus associated with fatal diseases in banded Penguins.
abstract: A novel avian alphaherpesvirus, preliminarily designated sphenicid alphaherpesvirus 1 (SpAHV-1), has been independently isolated from juvenile Humboldt and African penguins (Spheniscus humboldti and Spheniscus demersus) kept in German zoos suffering from diphtheroid oropharyngitis/laryngotracheitis and necrotizing enteritis (collectively designated as penguin-diphtheria-like disease). High-throughput sequencing was used to determine the complete genome sequences of the first two SpAHV-1 isolates. SpAHV-1 comprises a class D genome with a length of about 164 kbp, a G+C content of 45.6 mol% and encodes 86 predicted ORFs. Taxonomic association of SpAHV-1 to the genus Mardivirus was supported by gene content clustering and phylogenetic analysis of herpesvirus core genes. The presented results imply that SpAHV-1 could be the primary causative agent of penguin-diphtheria-like fatal diseases in banded penguins. These results may serve as a basis for the development of diagnostic tools in order to investigate similar cases of penguin diphtheria in wild and captive penguins.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pfaff
authors.affiliation: Berlin-Brandenburg State Laboratory, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: König
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Kati
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Franzke
authors.affiliation: Berlin-Brandenburg State Laboratory, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bock
authors.affiliation: Berlin-Brandenburg State Laboratory, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hlinak
authors.affiliation: Tierpark Cottbus, Cottbus, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kämmerling
authors.affiliation: Berlin Zoological Garden, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ochs
authors.affiliation: Berlin Zoological Garden, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schüle
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Mettenleiter
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Höper
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D001482:Base Composition; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004751:Enteritis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D023061:Gene Order; D016679:Genome, Viral; D005858:Germany; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D025922:Mardivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010802:Phylogeny; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D046429:Spheniscidae / Q000821:virology*; D014771:Virion / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral