Preliminary Studies on the Etiology of Keratoconjunctivitis in Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) Calves in Alaska

Evans, Alina L.; Bey, R.; Schoster, J. V.; Gaarder, James E.; Finstad, Greg

doi:10.7589/0090-3558-44.4.1051

Cited by 6 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Although IKC in reindeer is reported to be caused by M. ovis (21), this bacterium may not be essential for the development of IKC in reindeer, as also indicated by a study from Alaska in which no such bacteria were found (13). We found that a Moraxella sp.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 51%

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Cervid Herpesvirus 2, the Primary Agent in an Outbreak of Infectious Keratoconjunctivitis in Semidomesticated Reindeer

et al. 2009

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An outbreak of infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) occurred in semidomesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in Troms County, Norway, in February 2009. Twenty-eight animals with clinical symptoms and 12 apparently healthy animals were investigated. They ranged in age from calves of the year to 4-year-old animals (mean, 1.9 years; standard deviation, ؎0.9). The seroprevalence of antibodies against cervid herpesvirus 2 (CvHV2) was 86% in animals with IKC and 42% in unaffected animals. For the 28 clinically affected animals, CvHV2 was detected by PCR in swabs obtained from the eye (82%), nose (64%), and vagina (24%), and CvHV2 was isolated from eye swabs from 8 animals. Virus was not isolated from clinically unaffected animals but was detected by PCR in eye swab samples from five of them. The viral activity, assessed by the ability to cause a cytopathic effect in cell culture, increased with the severity of clinical symptoms, but in severe clinical cases, virus was absent and secondary bacterial infections were dominant. Moraxella sp. isolates were obtained from seven animals, and those from two animals were identified as Moraxella bovoculi. Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus sp., and Arcanobacterium pyogenes were also isolated. It is concluded that CvHV2, which is endemic in reindeer, can cause IKC, probably most commonly as a primary infection of calves. This can be a very painful and devastating disease of economic importance for reindeer herders. This is the first report of CvHV2 as the primary agent of IKC in reindeer. This is also the first isolation of this virus in reindeer under natural herding conditions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 51%

“…During an evaluation of 660 reindeer calves in western Alaska, where outbreaks of IKC in calves are reported to be common, clinical signs were found in 26 individuals. Since no primary viral or bacterial agent could be identified, a multifactorial cause was suggested, including the involvement of stress, ocular foreign bodies, and arthropods (13).…”

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confidence: 99%

Cervid Herpesvirus 2, the Primary Agent in an Outbreak of Infectious Keratoconjunctivitis in Semidomesticated Reindeer

et al. 2009

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“…This conclusion was supported by the fact that virus could be isolated from eye swab samples more frequently in animals with a mild stage of the disease, whereas in severe cases of IKC, only bacteria were recovered [15]. However, it remains unknown if the IKC frequently reported in Alaskan reindeer is related to a herpesvirus infection [16]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of alphaherpesvirus infections in Alaskan caribou and reindeer

et al. 2012

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BackgroundThe reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) industry in Alaska began with animals imported from Siberia (Russia) in the 1890's. Cervid herpes virus 2 (CvHV2) is endemic in reindeer in Scandinavia. We sought to determine if the same virus, or similar herpesviruses, were circulating in Alaskan reindeer and caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti). Serum samples from 292 reindeer were collected during annual reindeer handlings (1988-2005) near Nome, Alaska. In 2005, swab samples were collected from 40 calves from this herd, near Nome, Alaska. In 2007, ocular and nasal swab samples were collected from 30 apparently healthy reindeer calves near Wales, Alaska. Samples of plasma and white blood cells were collected from three Alaskan caribou herds, Mulchatna (n = 24), Teshekpuk (n = 34) and the Western Arctic (n = 87) in 2009.ResultsOf 292 reindeer samples tested by ELISA for antibodies against alphaherpesvirus (bovine herpesvirus 1 as antigen), seroprevalence was 47% (136/292) and adult reindeer had higher seroprevalence than yearlings. The overall seroprevalence for caribou was 60% (87/145), with no significant differences among caribou herds. A virus neutralization test of 20 samples from both reindeer and caribou showed that ELISA positive samples always neutralized CvHV2 to a greater extent than BoHV1 or elk herpesvirus (ElkHV), indicating that CvHv2 is the most likely virus circulating. PCR of nasal and ocular swabs sampled from 30 reindeer calves in Wales, Alaska (2007) yielded four CvHV2 positive samples. PCR amplicons of the expected size (294 bp) were obtained from 2 of the 36 buffy coats samples from caribou, and the amplicon sequences were consistent with CvHV2.ConclusionsThis study shows that Alaskan reindeer and Caribou are infected with an alphaherpesvirus. Based on sequence similarity, CvHV-2 is the most likely virus. Further studies should be conducted to determine the impact of this infection on the health of these animals.

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“…In this case, they assumingly originate from the sampling team. Although papillomaviruses have been identified a few times in reindeer [4,37], not much knowledge exists on the etiology of papillomatosis in reindeer. The disease is observed from time to time, both in wild reindeer and semi-domesticated reindeer, although it is not considered as a common disease.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Knowledge on virus infections in caribou, and especially the WACH with its contact to reindeer herding on the Seward Peninsula, is crucial, because diseases may play a role in the declining population, and also because some viruses are expected to be transmitted between reindeer/caribou and other ruminant species. Few studies have been conducted to try to identify viruses in caribou through isolation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or metagenomic surveys [4]. Random amplification of nucleic acids and next-generation sequencing with metagenomics analyses has been successful in recent years in identifying new viruses from wild animals [5][6][7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metagenomic Survey for Viruses in Western Arctic Caribou, Alaska, through Iterative Assembly of Taxonomic Units

et al. 2014

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Pathogen surveillance in animals does not provide a sufficient level of vigilance because it is generally confined to surveillance of pathogens with known economic impact in domestic animals and practically nonexistent in wildlife species. As most (re-)emerging viral infections originate from animal sources, it is important to obtain insight into viral pathogens present in the wildlife reservoir from a public health perspective. When monitoring living, free-ranging wildlife for viruses, sample collection can be challenging and availability of nucleic acids isolated from samples is often limited. The development of viral metagenomics platforms allows a more comprehensive inventory of viruses present in wildlife. We report a metagenomic viral survey of the Western Arctic herd of barren ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti) in Alaska, USA. The presence of mammalian viruses in eye and nose swabs of 39 free-ranging caribou was investigated by random amplification combined with a metagenomic analysis approach that applied exhaustive iterative assembly of sequencing results to define taxonomic units of each metagenome. Through homology search methods we identified the presence of several mammalian viruses, including different papillomaviruses, a novel parvovirus, polyomavirus, and a virus that potentially represents a member of a novel genus in the family Coronaviridae.

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Preliminary Studies on the Etiology of Keratoconjunctivitis in Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) Calves in Alaska

Cited by 6 publications

References 13 publications

Cervid Herpesvirus 2, the Primary Agent in an Outbreak of Infectious Keratoconjunctivitis in Semidomesticated Reindeer

Cervid Herpesvirus 2, the Primary Agent in an Outbreak of Infectious Keratoconjunctivitis in Semidomesticated Reindeer

Evidence of alphaherpesvirus infections in Alaskan caribou and reindeer

Metagenomic Survey for Viruses in Western Arctic Caribou, Alaska, through Iterative Assembly of Taxonomic Units

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