A comprehensive epidemiological approach documenting an outbreak of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus clade 2.3.4.4b among gulls, terns, and harbor seals in the Northeastern Pacific.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIV) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.

Complete genome sequence of white sturgeon herpesvirus 2 isolated from farmed white sturgeon ().

The complete genome sequence of white sturgeon herpesvirus 2 (strain UC Davis) was determined. Comparative genomic analyses confirmed the classification of this virus in the species in the family .

Phylogenomic Characterization of Ranavirus Isolated from Wild Smallmouth Bass ().

In September 2021, 14 smallmouth bass (SMB; with skin lesions were collected from Green Bay waters of Lake Michigan and submitted for diagnostic evaluation. All the skin samples tested positive for largemouth bass virus (LMBV) by conventional PCR. The complete genome of the LMBV (99,328 bp) isolated from a homogenized skin sample was determined using an Illumina MiSeq sequencer.

Genomic characterization of two ranavirus isolates identified from a gopher frog () and a striped newt () during a mass mortality event in Florida.

Two ranavirus isolates were recovered from anuran and salamander samples collected during an amphibian mass mortality event in North-Central Florida in 2021. Phylogenetic analyses of the full genomes confirmed that the two isolates were nearly identical and strains of the species .

Ranavirus (Frog Virus 3) Infection in Free-Living Three-Toed Box Turtles (Terrapene mexicana triunguis) in Missouri, USA.

Frog virus 3 (FV3) and related ranaviruses are emerging infectious disease threats to ectothermic vertebrate species globally. Although the impact of these viruses on amphibian health is relatively well studied, less is understood about their effects on reptile health. We report two cases of FV3 infection, 11 mo apart, in three-toed box turtles (Terrapene mexicana triunguis) from a wildlife rehabilitation center.

Genome sequence of white sturgeon herpesvirus 1 isolated from farmed white sturgeon ().

The genome sequence of white sturgeon herpesvirus 1, which was isolated from farmed white sturgeon (), was determined. Comparative analyses suggest the classification of this virus as a new species in a new genus in the family .

Alphaherpesvirus infection in a free-ranging narwhal Monodon monoceros from Arctic Canada.

We report the detection of an alphaherpesvirus infecting an adult female narwhal Monodon monoceros captured live during a tagging project in Tremblay Sound, Nunavut, Canada, in August 2018. The individual had 2 open wounds on the dorsum but appeared in good overall health. A blowhole swab was collected, and subsequent virus isolation was performed using a beluga whale primary cell line.

Myxobolus lentisuturalis infection in a farmed population of goldfish Carassius auratus from the USA.

Myxobolus lentisuturalis is a myxozoan parasite of piscine muscle that has been described in goldfish Carassius auratus and Prussian carp Carassius gibelio. This report documents a naturally occurring infection of M. lentisuturalis in a population of farmed goldfish in the USA.

Partial validation of a TaqMan quantitative polymerase chain reaction for the detection of the three genotypes of Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus.

Megalocytiviruses (MCVs) are double-stranded DNA viruses known to infect important freshwater and marine fish species in the aquaculture, food, and ornamental fish industries worldwide. Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) is the type species within the genus Megalocytivirus that causes red seabream iridoviral disease (RSIVD) which is a reportable disease to the World Animal Health Organization (WOAH). To better control the transboundary spread of this virus and support WOAH reporting requirements, we developed and partially validated a TaqMan real-time qPCR assay (ISKNV104R) to detect all three genotypes of ISKNV, including the two genotypes that cause RSIVD.

Cutaneous ulcerative lesions of unknown etiology affecting lionfish Pterois spp. in the Gulf of Mexico.

Objective: Cutaneous ulcerative skin lesions in a complex of invasive Gulf of Mexico lionfish (Red Lionfish Pterois volitans, Devil Firefish P. miles, and the hybrid Red Lionfish × Devil Firefish) became epizootic beginning in mid-August 2017. Herein, we provide the first pathological descriptions of these lesions and summarize our analyses to elucidate the etiology of the disease.

Phaeohyphomycosis due to in Aquarium-Housed Lumpfish (): Clinical Diagnosis and Description.

Phaeohyphomycosis caused by species represents an important disease of concern for farmed and aquarium-housed fish. The objective of this study was to summarize the clinical findings and diagnosis of infections in aquarium-housed . Clinical records and postmortem pathology reports were reviewed for 15 individuals from 5 public aquaria in the United States and Canada from 2007 to 2015.

Development of a TaqMan quantitative reverse transcription PCR assay to detect tilapia lake virus.

Tilapia lake virus disease (TiLVD) is an emerging viral disease associated with high morbidity and mortality in cultured tilapia worldwide. In this study, we have developed and validated a TaqMan quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) assay for TiLV, targeting a conserved region within segment 10 of the genome. The RT-qPCR assay was efficient (mean ± SD: 96.

Prevalence and genotype of Toxoplasma gondii in stranded Hawaiian cetaceans.

Toxoplasma gondii is a significant threat to endangered Hawaiian wildlife including birds and marine mammals. To estimate the prevalence of T. gondii in stranded cetaceans from 1997 to 2021 in Hawai'i, we tested tissues from 37 stranded spinner dolphins Stenella longirostris and 51 stranded individuals that represented 18 other cetacean species.

Characterization of an alloherpesvirus from wild lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens in Wisconsin (USA).

In the spring of 2017, 2 adult lake sturgeon (LS) Acipenser fulvescens captured from the Wolf River, Wisconsin (USA), presented with multiple cutaneous plaques that, upon microscopic examination, indicated proliferative epidermitis. Ultrastructural examination of affected keratinocytes revealed particles in the nucleus having a morphology typical of herpesviruses. A degenerate PCR assay targeting the DNA polymerase catalytic subunit (pol) gene of large double-stranded DNA viruses generated amplicons of the anticipated size from skin samples, and sequences of amplicons confirmed the presence of a novel alloherpesvirus (lake sturgeon herpesvirus, LSHV) related to acipenserid herpesvirus 1 (AciHV1).

Characterization of a Novel Reassortant Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Serotype 6 Strain Isolated from Diseased White-Tailed Deer () on a Florida Farm.

We report an outbreak of a novel reassortant epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus serotype 6 (EHDV-6) in white-tailed deer (WTD) on a Florida farm in 2019. At necropsy, most animals exhibited hemorrhagic lesions in the lung and heart, and congestion in the lung, liver, and spleen. Histopathology revealed multi-organ hemorrhage and congestion, and renal tubular necrosis.

Genome Sequence of Rotavirus A from a Florida Racing Pigeon ().

The complete coding sequence of a rotavirus A strain was determined from a dead racing pigeon in Florida. It was found to be most closely related to a rotavirus A strain isolated from a dead racing pigeon in California.

A novel group of negative-sense RNA viruses associated with epizootics in managed and free-ranging freshwater turtles in Florida, USA.

Few aquatic animal negative-sense RNA viruses have been characterized, and their role in disease is poorly understood. Here, we describe a virus isolated from diseased freshwater turtles from a Florida farm in 2007 and from an ongoing epizootic among free-ranging populations of Florida softshell turtles (Apalone ferox), Florida red-bellied cooters (Pseudemys nelsoni), and peninsula cooters (Pseudemys peninsularis). Affected turtles presented with similar neurological signs, oral and genital ulceration, and secondary microbial infections.

Effect of water temperature on frog virus 3 disease in hatchery-reared pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus.

Ranaviruses are large double-stranded DNA viruses within the genus Ranavirus (family Iridoviridae) that are being detected with increasing frequency among aquacultured and wild fishes. In the USA, multiple sturgeon hatcheries have experienced ranavirus epizootics resulting in significant morbidity and mortality in young-of-year (YOY). Significant economic losses have resulted from repeated outbreaks of frog virus 3 (FV3), the type species for the genus Ranavirus, in YOY pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus reared at a hatchery within the Missouri River Basin.

Genomic characterization of psittacine adenovirus 2, a siadenovirus identified in a moribund African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus).

Here, we report the complete genome sequence of psittacine adenovirus 2 from a moribund African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) with neurological signs and systemic inflammation. The complete siadenovirus genome is 25,386 bp in size. The results of genetic and phylogenetic analyses support its classification as a member of a novel species within the genus Siadenovirus.

Isolation, Identification and Characterization of a Novel from Cultured Tilapia ( spp.) from Southern California, USA.

In spring 2019, diseased four-month-old tilapia ( spp.) from an aquaculture farm in Southern California, USA were received for diagnostic evaluation with signs of lethargy, anorexia, abnormal swimming, and low-level mortalities. At necropsy, non-specific external lesions were noted including fin erosion, cutaneous melanosis, gill pallor, and coelomic distension.

Genomic Sequencing of Ranavirus Isolates from a Three-Spined Stickleback () and a Red-Legged Frog ().

Two ranavirus isolates were recovered during a wildlife disease investigation in California in 1996. Preliminary testing at the time of sample collection indicated that the two isolates were identical. Phylogenetic analysis of the full genomes of these two isolates revealed that they are a single strain of frog virus 3.

Longitudinal analysis of pinnipeds in the northwest Atlantic provides insights on endemic circulation of phocine distemper virus.

Phocine distemper virus (PDV) is a morbillivirus that circulates within pinnipeds in the North Atlantic. PDV has caused two known unusual mortality events (UMEs) in western Europe (1988, 2002), and two UMEs in the northwest Atlantic (2006, 2018). Infrequent cross-species transmission and waning immunity are believed to contribute to periodic outbreaks with high mortality in western Europe.