Identification of Felis catus Gammaherpesvirus 1 in Tsushima Leopard Cats (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus) on Tsushima Island, Japan

Abstract

Felis catus gammaherpesvirus 1 (FcaGHV1) is a widely endemic infection of domestic cats. Current epidemiological data identify domestic cats as the sole natural host for FcaGHV1. The Tsushima leopard cat (TLC; Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus) is a critically endangered species that lives only on Tsushima Island, Nagasaki, Japan. Nested PCR was used to test the blood or spleen of 89 TLCs for FcaGHV1 DNA; three (3.37%; 95% CI, 0.70–9.54) were positive. For TLC management purposes, we also screened domestic cats and the virus was detected in 13.02% (95% CI, 8.83–18.27) of 215 cats. Regarding phylogeny, the partial sequences of FcaGHV1 from domestic cats and TLCs formed one cluster, indicating that similar strains circulate in both populations. In domestic cats, we found no significant difference in FcaGHV1 detection in feline immunodeficiency virus-infected (p = 0.080) or feline leukemia virus-infected (p = 0.163) cats, but males were significantly more likely to be FcaGHV1 positive (odds ratio, 5.86; 95% CI, 2.27–15.14) than females. The higher frequency of FcaGHV1 detection in domestic cats than TLCs, and the location of the viral DNA sequences from both cats within the same genetic cluster suggests that virus transmission from domestic cats to TLCs is likely.

Identification of a novel gammaherpesvirus in Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)

“…Bobcats are presumed to be the primary host species for this virus based on the high prevalence of LruGHV1 DNA in blood and spleen samples from bobcat populations in California, Colorado, Florida, and Vermont (ranging from 25% to 76% positive) (Loisel et al, 2018;Troyer et al, 2014). These findings as well as the recent finding that FcaGHV1 of domestic cats can infect Tsushima leopard cats in Japan (Makundi et al, 2018) further support the idea that felid percaviruses may naturally cross-infect multiple felid species through interspecific felid species interactions.…”

Effects of Mustelid gammaherpesvirus 1 (MusGHV-1) Reactivation in European Badger (Meles meles) Genital Tracts on Reproductive Fitness

“…The main mating season in badgers coincides with the postpartum oestrus (in the UK and Ireland typically in the middle of February: [ 37 , 65 ], but males start their “rutting behaviour” several weeks earlier from the middle of January [ 66 ], coinciding with a rise in their testosterone levels [ 67 ]. Testosterone, however, acts as an immune-suppressant [ 68 ] and may thus be partly responsible for the corresponding peak in male MusGHV-1 prevalence rates, mirroring results in domestic cats where males also have a higher risk than females to be infected with the feline gammaherpesvirus FcaGHV-1 [ 33 , 69 ], and entire males are at higher risk of infection with FcaGHV-1 than neutered males [ 70 ]. Female badger MusGHV-1 reactivation rates in the genital tract, in contrast, are higher in spring at the end of the main mating season than at its start in January.…”

“…Despite these potential impacts on reproduction, herpesvirus reactivation and associated diseases have rarely been investigated in wildlife. In the Carnivora, reported herpesvirus infections belong mostly to the gammaherpesvirinae, and have been documented from casualties [ 26 , 27 ], epidemiological surveys [ 28 , 29 , 30 ], endangered species management [ 31 , 32 , 33 ], or incidentally from studies that were focused on other pathogens [ 31 ]. Here we report for the first time the results of a systematic screening study of wild European badgers ( Meles meles ; henceforth ‘badger’) from populations across the Republic of Ireland, investigating how Mustelid gammaherpesvirus 1 (MusGHV-1) reactivation in genital tracts affects host reproductive performance.…”

Prevalence, Geographic Distribution, Risk Factors and Co-Infections of Feline Gammaherpesvirus Infections in Domestic Cats in Switzerland

“…Novel GHVs were identified among Primates, Artiodactyla, Perissodactyla, Carnivora, Scandentia, and Eulipotyphla using PCR with panherpesvirus DNA polymerase gene primers or genus-specific glycoprotein B (gB) gene primers [19]. In 2014, the first gammaherpesvirus (named Felis catus gammaherpesvirus 1, FcaGHV1 [20]) was identified in domestic cats, followed by the identification of novel GHVs in other felids (bobcats, pumas, ocelots, leopard cats) in the USA and Japan [20,21,22]. Since that first identification, different epidemiological studies have shown that FcaGHV1 infection is widely endemic in domestic cats.…”