Polyomavirus Infection in a Free-Ranging California Sea Lion (Zalophus Californianus) with Intestinal T-Cell Lymphoma

Abstract

Abstract. An adult female California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) that stranded in central California was found to have a small glossal polypoid mass on gross necropsy. Histologically, the mass was consistent with a fibropapilloma, and intranuclear inclusions were found within endothelial cells lining small arterioles within the mass. Electron microscopy revealed 40-nm virions within endothelial intranuclear inclusions. Rolling circle amplification was used to obtain a partial viral genomic sequence. Sequence analysis identified the virus as a novel polyomavirus, tentatively named California sea lion polyomavirus 1. In addition, the sea lion had a severely thickened small intestine and swollen pale kidneys on gross examination. Severe renal amyloidosis with chronic interstitial nephritis was diagnosed histologically as well as T-cell intestinal lymphoma, which was confirmed via immunophenotyping and molecular clonality. The relationship, if any, between polyomavirus infection and the other disease processes in this sea lion is not known, but it is considered unlikely that the polyomavirus induced the lymphoma.

Identification of a Novel Cetacean Polyomavirus from a Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) with Tracheobronchitis

“…In avian hosts infection is often associated with acute and severe disease, while mammalian PyVs generally result in mild or subclinical infections [2] unless the host is immunosuppressed [6]–[9]. Significantly, our knowledge of PyV epidemiology and pathogenesis is mostly limited to terrestrial species, and the only reported marine PyV infection is in a California sea lion ( Zalophus californianus ) with small proliferative lesions on the dorsal mucosa of the tongue [10], [11]. Here we describe a novel cetacean PyV and implicate the virus in the death of a free-ranging short-beaked common dolphin ( Delphinus delphis ).…”

Novel Polyomavirus associated with Brain Tumors in Free-Ranging Raccoons, Western United States

“…Among oncogenic viruses are those in the Polyomaviridae family, whose members infect an array of vertebrate species, including birds, humans, nonhuman primates, bovids, rodents, and sea lions ( 1 , 2 ). Infection in mammals typically results in persistent asymptomatic infection ( 3 , 4 ).…”

Identification of MW Polyomavirus, a Novel Polyomavirus in Human Stool

“…Polyomaviruses also infect a wide variety of mammalian and avian hosts, including the recently described novel polyomaviruses of bats (Myotis species) (32), sea lions (Zalophus californianus) (8,47), multimammate mice (Mastomys species) (33), canaries (Serinus canaria) (19), orangutans (Pongo species) (17), squirrel monkeys (Saimiri species) (46), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes subsp. verus) (28), and gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) (28).…”