Infection of eight mesocarnivores in New Hampshire and Vermont with a distinct clade of canine distemper virus in 2016–2017

Abstract

Three fishers ( Martes pennanti), 2 gray foxes ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus), 1 mink ( Neovison vison), 1 skunk ( Mephitis mephitis), and 1 raccoon ( Procyon lotor), from Vermont and New Hampshire, had lesions on autopsy consistent with canine distemper virus (CDV) infections diagnosed in a 12-mo period in 2016–2017. Lesions of CDV infection were most commonly noted in the lungs (8 of 8 animals), urothelium (5 of 8), biliary tract (5 of 8), gastrointestinal tract (4 of 7), and brain (4 of 6). Splenic lesions were seen in 3 animals. The diagnosis was confirmed via immunohistochemistry and virus isolation. Viral genotyping indicated that all 8 animals were infected with a distinct clade of CDV that has only been reported in wildlife in New England, and this clade of viruses is distinct from vaccine strains. During the 12 mo when these cases occurred, no other CDV clade was identified in any other wildlife or domesticated animal submitted from the 2 states.

Concurrent Infection of Skunk Adenovirus-1, Listeria monocytogenes, and a Regionally Specific Clade of Canine Distemper Virus in One Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) and Concurrent Listeriosis and Canine Distemper in a Second Gray Fox

“…Numerous CDV strains have been identified in North American wildlife [ 32 ]. The strain detected in this case belongs to a distinct clade that has been reported in 8 carnivores in the Northeast United States in 2016–2017 [ 3 ]. This clade is distinct both from CDV strains used in commercial vaccines, and from others noted in wildlife in the United States [ 3 , 32 ].…”

“…The strain detected in this case belongs to a distinct clade that has been reported in 8 carnivores in the Northeast United States in 2016–2017 [ 3 ]. This clade is distinct both from CDV strains used in commercial vaccines, and from others noted in wildlife in the United States [ 3 , 32 ]. The two CDV isolates from the foxes we reported herein are most closely related to each other and three isolates from raccoons from Rhode Island, USA.…”

“…CDV M gene/M-F sequence placed the virus in both animals in a recently described clade that as of the time of manuscript submission has been described only in free ranging mesocarnivores in New England [ 3 ] ( Figure 2 : case 1 = Gray fox _9242, single arrowhead; case 2 = Gray fox_9243, double arrowhead).…”

“…A portion of the M gene/M-F intergenic region was amplified and sequenced, as previously described [ 2 ]. Sequences from this region were submitted to GenBank and the submission also included sequences from this region for isolates previously described [ 3 ]. Phylogenetic analysis was performed by aligning these sequences with similar sequences obtained from GenBank using MAFFT Alignment version 7.450 [ 4 ].…”

Characterization and Comparison of SLAM/CD150 in Free-Ranging Coyotes, Raccoons, and Skunks in Illinois for Elucidation of Canine Distemper Virus Disease

“…Mutation in the gene at position 549, with substitution of tyrosine for histidine (Y549H), has been implicated in increased infectivity of non-canid species, particularly felids [ 5 , 6 ] while other studies have shown no bias at this site [ 1 , 7 ]. Epidemiologic investigations of wildlife cases have identified numerous strains and distinct CDV lineages in circulation in domestic and free-ranging carnivore populations [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ].…”