Spontaneous human herpes virus type 1 infection in a chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera f. dom.)

Abstract

A 1-year-old male chinchilla with a 2-week history of conjunctivitis suffered subsequently from neurological signs comprising seizures, disorientation, recumbency and apathy. After 3 weeks of progressive central nervous disease the animal was killed in view of the poor prognosis. A non-suppurative meningitis and polioencephalitis with neuronal necrosis and intranuclear inclusion bodies were observed at necropsy and by light microscopy. The brain stem and cerebral cortices were most severely affected. Both eyes displayed ulcerative keratitis, uveitis, retinitis and retinal degeneration, and optical neuritis. Additionally, a purulent rhinitis with focal erosions, epithelial degeneration and intranuclear inclusion bodies was present. Ultrastructurally, herpes virus particles were detected in neurons of the brain. Immunohistochemistry with antisera specific for human herpes virus types 1 and 2 resulted in viral antigen labeling in neurons, glial cells and in neuronal processes. Viral antigen was found in the rhinencephalon, cerebral cortices, hippocampus, numerous nuclei of the brain stem, single foci in the cerebellum, and in a solitary erosive lesion of the right nasal vestibulum. Viral antigen was not detected in the eyes. The virus was isolated from the CNS, and nucleic acid sequence analysis of the glycoprotein B and the DNA polymerase revealed a sequence homology with human herpes virus type 1 of 99% and 100%, respectively. The clinical signs, the distribution of the lesions and the viral antigen suggest a primary ocular infection with subsequent spread to the CNS. Chinchillas are susceptible to human herpes virus 1 and may play a role as a temporary reservoir for human infections.

Herpes simplex encephalitis in a captive black howler monkey (Alouatta caraya)

“…9 Proposed routes of infection for HSV encephalitis include entry via the olfactory bulb, ocular nerve, trigeminal ganglion, and hematogenous spread. 9,12,13 The source and route of infection and disease progression could not be determined in our case; however, anthropozoonotic transmission is possible and has been reported in the rabbit, chinchilla, and marmoset. [11][12][13] …”

“…2,9 Eosinophilic inclusions with a clear halo and nuclear chromatin margination, known as Cowdry type A inclusions, can be observed in affected neurons. 13 The pathogenesis of HSV-1 encephalitis is still unclear. While reactivation of latent virus may result in morbidity and mortality, only 10% of individuals developing encephalitis have a prior history of herpesvirus infection, suggesting that the encephalitis is not caused by recrudescence.…”

Herpes simplex-like infection in a bottlenose dolphin stranded in the Canary Islands

“…Most of the reports about HSV in species other than humans are restricted to non-human primates such as chimpanzees (McClure et al 1980), gorillas (Heldstab et al 1981, common marmosets (Mätz-Rensing et al 2003), saki monkeys (Schrenzel et al 2003), gibbons (Landolfi et al 2005) and orangutans (Kik et al 2005). Only a few descriptions of HSV infections in nonprimate hosts are available; they describe infections in a chinchilla (Wohlsein et al 2002), a rabbit (Grest et al 2002) and an African pygmy hedgehog (Allison et al 2002).…”

Biology and Diseases of Chinchillas

“…Epizootiology and Transmission Only two cases of spontaneous herpes virus or herpes-like virus infection in chinchillas have been reported (Goudas and Gilroy, 1970;Wohlsein et al, 2002). One case used histopathology and electron microscopy to visualize herpes-like viral particles in infected tissues (Goudas and Gilroy, 1970), while the other case confirmed infection with human herpes virus 1 using immunohistochemistry, virus isolation, and genomic sequence analysis (Wohlsein et al, 2002).…”