Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is caused by a group of gammaherpesviruses that primarily affect domestic and wild ruminants. Using competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we screened 3,339 apparently healthy, semidomesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) from Finnmark County, Norway, sampled during slaughter. The overall antibody prevalence was 3.5% and varied among reindeer herding districts in Finnmark (0–6.7%), the largest reindeer herding region in Norway. The risk of exposure to gammaherpesvirus (i.e., seroconversion) was significantly higher for adult reindeer than it was for calves ≤1 yr, for reindeer in east Finnmark (3.8%) compared with west Finnmark (3.3%), and with increasing population density. No evidence of disease associated with this virus was detected in reindeer sampled for this study, but because samples were collected at slaughterhouses, one cannot discard the possibility of these events happening in the field. The low antibody prevalence could indicate occasional infection of reindeer with another ruminant gammaherpesvirus or the presence of a yet-unknown, specific, low-pathogenic reindeer gammaherpesvirus. Further studies should aim at characterizing the virus circulating in reindeer and address the potential clinical impact of this virus.
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Epidemiology|
April 01 2013
GAMMAHERPESVIRUS INFECTION IN SEMIDOMESTICATED REINDEER (RANGIFER TARANDUS TARANDUS): A CROSS-SECTIONAL, SEROLOGIC STUDY IN NORTHERN NORWAY
Carlos G. das Neves;
Carlos G. das Neves
5
1 Section of Arctic Veterinary Medicine, Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Stakkevollveien 23, NO-9010 Tromsø, Norway
5 Corresponding author (email: [email protected])
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Hanne M. Ihlebæk;
Hanne M. Ihlebæk
1 Section of Arctic Veterinary Medicine, Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Stakkevollveien 23, NO-9010 Tromsø, Norway
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Eystein Skjerve;
Eystein Skjerve
2 Centre of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, PO Box 8164, NO-0033 Oslo, Norway
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Willy Hemmingsen;
Willy Hemmingsen
3 Faculty of Bioscience, Fishery and Economy, Institute of Arctic and Marine Biology, University of Tromsø, NO-9037 Tromsø, Norway
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Hong Li;
Hong Li
4 Animal Disease Research Unit, US Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164, USA
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Morten Tryland
Morten Tryland
1 Section of Arctic Veterinary Medicine, Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, The Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Stakkevollveien 23, NO-9010 Tromsø, Norway
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J Wildl Dis (2013) 49 (2): 261–269.
Article history
Received:
July 12 2012
Accepted:
October 07 2012
Citation
Carlos G. das Neves, Hanne M. Ihlebæk, Eystein Skjerve, Willy Hemmingsen, Hong Li, Morten Tryland; GAMMAHERPESVIRUS INFECTION IN SEMIDOMESTICATED REINDEER (RANGIFER TARANDUS TARANDUS): A CROSS-SECTIONAL, SEROLOGIC STUDY IN NORTHERN NORWAY. J Wildl Dis 1 April 2013; 49 (2): 261–269. doi: https://doi.org/10.7589/2012-07-185
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