Poxvirus Infection in an American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) from Northwestern Canada

Abstract

There are two recognized poxviruses that are associated with disease in tree squirrels: squirrel fibroma virus (SQFV), Leporipoxvirus, which affects eastern grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) in eastern North America, and squirrelpox virus (SQPV), a member of a newly identified poxvirus genus, which affects European red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in the United Kingdom. In August 2008, a cutaneous poxvirus-associated disease was identified in a North American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) from the Yukon Territory, Canada. The gross and microscopic appearance of the skin lesions was more consistent with SQPV than SQFV, and electron microscopy revealed poxvirions only within epithelial cells. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to identify poxvirus core protein encoding DNA in skin samples, and phylogenetic analysis showed that the inferred amino acid sequence was distinct from all other poxvirus species for which the core protein gene has been sequenced, including those of the genus Leporipoxvirus. Although the core protein sequence of SQPV was not available, comparison of the constructed phylogenetic tree to other published trees, based on major outer envelope proteins, revealed that the identified sequence occupies a position similar to SQPV in terms of its relationship to other poxviruses. However, PCR primers designed to amplify gene sequences encoding the SQPV major envelope protein and RNA polymerase did not amplify any sequences from infected tissues. These findings suggest that the virus present in this squirrel is a novel poxvirus of North American red squirrels. To our knowledge, this is the first case of poxvirus infection in Canadian squirrels outside of Ontario.

Health Status of the Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) Population in Umbria: Results of the LIFE Project ‘U-SAVEREDS’

“…Therefore, the replacement of the native species by SQPV-positive grey squirrels occurs faster than with exploitation competition alone [ 19 , 23 ]. The SQPV has spread into several countries, such as Canada [ 24 ], England, Ireland [ 25 ], Wales, and Scotland [ 26 ], but there is no evidence of it in grey squirrels introduced in Italy [ 27 ]. Squirrels can host many other pathogens, such as dermatophytes [ 28 , 29 ], yeasts [ 30 ], Chlamydia sp.…”

Poxvirus Disease of Squirrels (Poxviridae, Chordopoxvirinae, SQPV - Squirrel Poxvirus)

“…При этом амплифицируется фрагмент величиной 368 п. о. С помощью еще двух пар праймеров, рассчитанных на РНК-полимеразный ген, амплифицируются фрагменты в 239 и 690 п.о. Эти пары праймеров дифференцировали вирус оспы белок от вируса фибромы белок, члена рода Leporipoxvirus [29].…”

“…Второй комплекс мер по спасению рыжих белок включает разработку эффективного контроля за размножением и отбраковкой больных серых белок. Проводящиеся в настоящее время в Великобритании исследования по созданию вакцины для рыжих белок позволяют надеяться, что их популяции будут защищены [29]. Финансирование.…”

Berlin Squirrelpox Virus, a New Poxvirus in Red Squirrels, Berlin, Germany

“…SQPV had been assigned to the parapoxviruses due to morphological similarities ( 2 ), but the latest viral genome data placed it in a separate clade within the poxvirus family ( 3 ). Recently, different poxviruses have been associated with similar lesions in American red squirrels ( Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ) from Canada ( 4 ), but except for a single case report from Spain ( 5 ), no poxvirus infections in squirrels have been reported in continental Europe.…”