Gibson, Louise;
Shadbolt, Tammy;
Paul, Pranab;
Gerard, Georgina;
Wrigglesworth, Ethan;
Sainsbury, Anthony W;
Donald, Helen;
... Spiro, Simon; + view all
(2024)
Prevalence and Molecular Analysis of Encephalomyocarditis Virus-2 in the Hazel Dormouse.
EcoHealth
, 21
(1)
pp. 112-122.
10.1007/s10393-024-01680-z.
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Abstract
The hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) population in the UK continues to decline due to habitat loss, despite reintroductions of captive-bred individuals being conducted nationally for over 30 years. Disease surveillance of captive-bred and wild dormice is performed to identify novel and existing disease threats which could impact populations. In this study, we firstly investigated cause of death in seven hazel dormice found dead in England, through next-generation sequencing identifying a virus closely related to a wood mouse encephalomyocarditis virus-2 (EMCV-2). Subsequently, lung tissue samples from 35 out of 44 hazel dormice tested positive for EMCV-2 RNA using a reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Sanger sequencing methods developed in this study. Formalin-fixed tissues available for nine hazel dormice which tested positive for EMCV-2 RNA were examined microscopically. Three cases showed moderate interstitial pneumonia with minimal to mild lymphoplasmacytic myocarditis, but no evidence of encephalitis. However, the presence of possible alternative causes of death in these cases means that the lesions cannot be definitively attributed to EMCV-2. Here, we report the first detection of EMCV-2 in hazel dormice and conclude that EMCV-2 is likely to be endemic in the hazel dormouse population in England and may be associated with clinical disease.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Prevalence and Molecular Analysis of Encephalomyocarditis Virus-2 in the Hazel Dormouse |
| Location: | United States |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10393-024-01680-z |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10393-024-01680-z |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Encephalomyocarditis virus, EMCV-2, Cardiovirus, Hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10192875 |
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