Detection of a novel gammaherpesvirus (genus Rhadinovirus) in wild muntjac deer in Northern Ireland

John McKillen, Kayleigh Hogg, Paula Lagan, Cheryl Ball, Simon Doherty, Neil Reid, Lisa Collins, Jaimie T. A. Dick, Simon Doherty

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study represents the initial part of an investigation into the potential for non-native, wild, free-living muntjac deer (Muntiacus reevesi) to carry viruses that could be a threat to livestock. A degenerate PCR assay was used to screen a range of tissues from muntjac deer culled in Northern Ireland for the presence of herpesviral nucleic acids. This was followed by sequencing of PCR amplicons and phylogenetic analysis. We report the detection of a novel gammaherpesvirus most closely related to a type 2 ruminant rhadinovirus from mule deer. It remains to be determined if this new virus is pathogenic to deer or presents a risk to food security through the susceptibility of domestic livestock.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1737-1740
Number of pages4
JournalArchives of Virology
Volume162
Issue number6
Early online date15 Feb 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2017

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