Viral inclusions in raccoon liver cells

Three young raccoons (Procyon lotor), two from Michigan and one from Arizona, died suddenly from acute infections. Intranuclear inclusion bodies and viral particles typical of herpesvirus were seen in liver cells from all three. Inclusions also were seen in the nuclei of endothelial cells in the lung, liver, glomeruli and reticuloendothelial cells of the spleen. The source of the infection was not determined, but possible transmission from other species could not be ruled out.