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Border disease virus among chamois, Spain
Ignasi Marco1, Rosa Rosell, Oscar Cabezón
1Wildlife Health Service, Veterinary Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
Emerging Infectious Diseases
|February 26, 2009
Insights
Border disease virus caused the deaths of approximately 3,000 Pyrenean chamois in Spain between 2005-2007. This viral infection was identified as the primary cause, mirroring a 2001 outbreak.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Wildlife Disease Ecology
- Molecular Virology
Background:
- The Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica) population in northeastern Spain experienced significant mortality events.
- Previous epizootics, including one in 2001, suggested a viral etiology for chamois deaths.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the causative agent responsible for the deaths of approximately 3,000 Pyrenean chamois between 2005 and 2007.
- To confirm the role of Border disease virus in the observed mortality.
Main Methods:
- Samples from deceased Pyrenean chamois were analyzed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
- Sequencing analysis was performed on viral genetic material to confirm pathogen identification.
Main Results:
- Border disease virus (BDV) infection was definitively identified in the Pyrenean chamois.
- RT-PCR and sequencing confirmed BDV as the primary pathogen responsible for the epizootic.
Conclusions:
- Border disease virus is implicated as the principal cause of the 2005-2007 Pyrenean chamois mortality event.
- The findings are consistent with the role of BDV in a similar epizootic observed in 2001, highlighting ongoing disease risks.
Abstract:
Approximately 3,000 Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica) died in northeastern Spain during 2005-2007. Border disease virus infection was identified by reverse transcription-PCR and sequencing analysis. These results implicate this virus as the primary cause of death, similar to findings in the previous epizootic in 2001.
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