Genome characterization of cetaceanpox virus from a managed Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus)

Cetaceanpox viruses (CePVs) are associated with a cutaneous disease in cetaceans often referred to as "tattoo" lesions. To date, only partial genomic data are available for CePVs, and thus, they remain unclassified members of the subfamily Chordopoxvirinae within the family Poxviridae. Herein, we describe the first complete CePV genome sequenced from the tattoo lesion of a managed Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus), using next-generation sequencing. The T. aduncus CePV genome (CePV-TA) was determined to encode 120 proteins, including eight genes unique to the CePV-TA and five genes predicted to function as immune-evasion genes. The results of CePV-TA genetic analyses supported the creation of a new chordopoxvirus genus for CePVs. The complete sequencing of a CePV represents an important first step in unraveling the evolutionary relationship and taxonomy of CePVs, and significantly increases our understanding of the genomic characteristics of these chordopoxviruses.