Evolutionary evidence for multi-host transmission of cetacean morbillivirus

Abstract

Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) has emerged as the pathogen that poses the greatest risk of triggering epizootics in cetacean populations worldwide, and has a high propensity for interspecies transmission, including sporadic infection of seals. In this study, we investigated the evolutionary history of CeMV by deep sequencing wild-type viruses from tissue samples representing cetacean species with different spatiotemporal origins. Bayesian phylogeographic analysis generated an estimated evolutionary rate of 2.34 × 10−4 nucleotide substitutions/site/year and showed that CeMV evolutionary dynamics are neither host-restricted nor location-restricted. Moreover, the dolphin morbillivirus strain of CeMV has undergone purifying selection without evidence of species-specific mutations. Cell-to-cell fusion and growth kinetics assays demonstrated that CeMV can use both dolphin and seal CD150 as a cellular receptor. Thus, it appears that CeMV can readily spread among multiple cetacean populations and may pose an additional spillover risk to seals.

Pathological findings and survey for pathogens associated with reproductive failure in perinatal Steller sea lions Eumetopias jubatus

“…Our findings suggest that vertical transmission of PDV may have occurred in SSLs, as has been reported for morbillivirus infections in other species. Cetacean morbilliviruses, for example, can jump hosts to multiple cetacean and pinniped species, and may be transmitted vertically (Jo et al 2018). It is still unclear whether PDV caused abortion or whether it was secondary to systemic infection, as indicated in other studies (e.g.…”

Camelids and Cattle Are Dead-End Hosts for Peste-des-Petits-Ruminants Virus

“…The P gene also encodes for the two non-structural proteins C and V [32,33]. Similar to PPRV, a wide host range for the other animal morbilliviruses (canine distemper virus (CDV), cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) and RPV that infect respectively carnivores, cetaceans and artiodactyls) has been reported [7,8,32,[34][35][36][37]. Attachment of morbilliviruses to cell surfaces is mediated via their H glycoprotein by direct protein-protein interaction with the two major natural host receptors involved in morbillivirus infection: CD150 (signaling lymphocyte activation molecule, SLAM) and nectin-4 [32].…”

Inter-Laboratory Ring Trial to Evaluate Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Methods Used for <i>Dolphin Morbillivirus</i> Detection in Italy

“…Dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV), a single negative stranded RNA virus within the genus Morbillivirus, subfamily Paramyxovirinae, family Paramyxoviridae [1], is included in the cluster of Cetacean Morbillivirus (CeMV) [2]. DMV infection, in a similar manner to many other Morbillivirus genus members, affects mainly the upper respiratory tract as well as the central nervous system and the immune system of marine mammals [3] [4], having been associated with high mortality rates and stranding of cetaceans in different regions of the world [5].…”