Unusual striped dolphin mass mortality episode related to cetacean morbillivirus in the Spanish Mediterranean Sea
Artículo de investigación publicado en BMC Veterinary Research
23 de mayo de 2013
BACKGROUND: In the last 20 years, Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) has been responsible for many die-offs in marine mammals worldwide, as clearly exemplified by the two dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) epizootics of 1990--1992 and 2006--2008, which affected Mediterranean striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba). Between March and April 2011, the number of strandings on the Valencian Community coast (E Spain) increased.CASE PRESENTATION: Necropsy and sample collection were performed in all stranded animals, with good state of conservation. Subsequently, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, conventional reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Universal Probe Library (UPL) RT-PCR assays were performed to identify Morbillivirus. Gross and microscopic findings compatible with CeMV were found in the majority of analyzed animals. Immunopositivity in the brain and UPL RT-PCR positivity in seven of the nine analyzed animals in at least two tissues confirmed CeMV systemic infection. Phylogenetic analysis, based on sequencing part of the phosphoprotein gene, showed that this isolate is a closely related dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) to that responsible for the 2006--2008 epizootics.CONCLUSION: The combination of gross and histopathologic findings compatible with DMV with immunopositivity and molecular detection of DMV suggests that this DMV strain could cause this die-off event
Rubio-Guerri C., Melero M., Esperon F., Belliere EN., Arbelo M., Crespo JL., Sierra E., Garcia-Parraga D. y Sanchez-Vizcaino JM..
 | Servicio de Inmunología Viral y Medicina Preventiva (SUAT). Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET). Universidad Complutense (UCM). |
 | Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA). Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. |
 | Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC). |
| Oceanogràfic. Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. | |
| Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad Complutense (UCM). |
 | Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA). Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA). |
