Distemper Outbreak and Its Effect on African Wild Dog Conservation

In December 2000, an infectious disease spread through a captive breeding group of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in Tanzania, killing 49 of 52 animals within 2 months. The causative agent was identified as Canine distemper virus (CDV) by means of histologic examination, virus isolation, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis, and nucleotide sequencing. This report emphasizes the importance of adequate protection against infectious diseases for the successful outcome of captive breeding programs of endangered species

Experimental Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Virus Infection of Cats

To demonstrate that pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus may cause respiratory disease in cats, we intratracheally infected cats. Diffuse alveolar damage developed. Seroconversion of sentinel cats indicated cat-to-cat virus transmission. Unlike in cats infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1), extrarespiratory lesions did not develop in cats infected with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus

Intestinal Tropism of a Betacoronavirus (Merbecovirus) in Nathusius’s Pipistrelle Bat (Pipistrellus nathusii), Its Natural Host

The emergence of several bat coronavirus-related disease outbreaks in human and domestic animals has fueled surveillance of coronaviruses in bats worldwide. However, little is known about how these viruses interact with their natural hosts. We demonstrate a Betacoronavirus (subgenus Merbecovirus), PN-βCoV, in the intestine of its natural host, Nathusius’s Pipistrelle Bat (Pipistrellus nathusii), by combining molecular and microscopy techniques. Eighty-eight P. nathusii bat carcasses were tested for PN-βCoV RNA by RT-qPCR, of which 25 bats (28%) tested positive. PN-βCoV RNA was more often detected in samples of the intestinal tract than in other sample types. In addition, viral RNA loads were higher in intestinal samples compared to other sample types, both on average and in each individual bat. In one bat, we demonstrated Merbecovirus antigen and PN-βCoV RNA expression in intestinal epithelium and the underlying connective tissue using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, respectively. These results indicate that PN-βCoV has a tropism for the intestinal epithelium of its natural host, Nathusius’s Pipistrelle Bat, and imply that the fecal-oral route is a possible route of transmission.</p

Phocine Distemper Outbreak, the Netherlands, 2002

During the 2002 phocine distemper epidemic, 2,284 seals, primarily harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), were found stranded along the Dutch coast. Stranding pattern varied with age, sex, state of decomposition, wind, and location. Cumulative proportion of deaths (54%) was comparable to that in the first reported epidemic in 1988

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1) infection in red foxes fed infected bird carcasses

Eating infected wild birds may put wild carnivores at high risk for infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus (H5N1). To determine whether red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are susceptible to infection with HPAI virus (H5N1), we infected 3 foxes intratracheally. They excreted virus pharyngeally for 3-7 days at peak titers of 103.5-105.2median tissue culture infective dose (TCID50) per mL and had severe pneumonia, myocarditis, and encephalitis. To determine whether foxes can become infected by the presumed natural route, we fed infected bird carcasses to 3 other red foxes. These foxes excreted virus pharyngeally for 3-5 days at peak titers of 104.2-104.5TCID50/mL, but only mild or no pneumonia developed. This study demonstrates that red foxes fed bird carcasses infected with HPAI virus (H5N1) can excrete virus while remaining free of severe disease, thereby potentially playing a role in virus dispersal

Influenza A and B Virus Attachment to Respiratory Tract in Marine Mammals

Patterns of virus attachment to the respiratory tract of 4 marine mammal species were determined for avian and human influenza viruses. Attachment of avian influenza A viruses (H4N5) and (H7N7) and human influenza B viruses to trachea and bronchi of harbor seals is consistent with reported influenza outbreaks in this species

Complete genome sequence of phocine distemper virus isolated from a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) during the 1988 North Sea epidemic

Phocine distemper virus (PDV) was identified as the cause of a large morbillivirus outbreak among harbor seals in the North Sea in 1988. PDV is a member of the family Paramyxoviridae, genus Morbillivirus. Until now, no full-genome sequence of PDV has been available

Pathology and virology of natural highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 infection in wild Common buzzards (Buteo buteo)

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds is a major emerging disease, and a cause of increased mortality during outbreaks. The Common buzzard (Buteo buteo) has a considerable chance of acquiring the infection and therefore may function as bio-sentinel for the presence of virus in wildlife. This study aimed to determine the virus distribution and associated pathological changes in the tissues of Common buzzards that died with HPAI H5 virus infection during the 2020–2021 epizootic. Eleven freshly dead, HPAI H5 virus-positive Common buzzards were necropsied. Based on RT-PCR, all birds were systemically infected with HPAI H5N8 virus, as viral RNA was detected in cloacal and pharyngeal swabs and in all 10 selected tissues of the birds, with mean Ct values per tissue ranging from 22 for heart to 32 for jejunum. Based on histology and immunohistochemistry, the most common virus-associated pathological changes were necrotizing encephalitis (9/11 birds) and necrotizing myocarditis (7/11 birds). The proventriculus of two birds showed virus-associated necrosis, indicating tropism of this virus for the digestive tract. Our advice is to collect at least a miniset of samples including brain, heart, liver, and spleen, as these tissues were positive both by RT-PCR and for virus-antigen-associated lesions

Faeces as a novel material to estimate lyssavirus prevalence in bat populations

Rabies is caused by infection with a lyssavirus. Bat rabies is of concern for both public health and bat conservation. The current method for lyssavirus prevalence studies in bat populations is by oral swabbing, which is invasive for the bats, dangerous for handlers, time‐consuming and expensive. In many situations, such sampling is not feasible, and hence, our understanding of epidemiology of bat rabies is limited. Faeces are usually easy to collect from bat colonies without disturbing the bats and thus could be a practical and feasible material for lyssavirus prevalence studies. To further explore this idea, we performed virological analysis on faecal pellets and oral swabs of seven serotine bats (Eptesicus serotinus) that were positive for European bat 1 lyssavirus in the brain. We also performed immunohistochemical and virological analyses on digestive tract samples of these bats to determine potential sources of lyssavirus in the faeces. We found that lyssavirus detection by RT‐qPCR was nearly as sensitive in faecal pellets (6/7 bats positive, 86%) as in oral swabs (7/7 bats positive, 100%). The likely source of lyssavirus in the faeces was virus excreted into the oral cavity from the salivary glands (5/6 bats positive by immunohistochemistry and RT‐qPCR) or tongue (3/4 bats positive by immunohistochemistry) and swallowed with saliva. Virus could not be isolated from any of the seven faecal pellets, suggesting the lyssavirus detected in faeces is not infectious. Lyssavirus detection in the majority of faecal pellets of infected bats shows that this novel material should be further explored for lyssavirus prevalence studies in bat