[en] Sixteen common seals (Phoca vitulina) were stranded on the Belgian and northern French coasts during the summer of 1998. Eleven (10 pups and one adult) were sampled for histopathological, immunohistochemical, serological. bacteriological, parasitological and virological investigations. The main gross findings were severe emaciation, acute haemorrhagic enteritis, acute pneumonia, interstitial pulmonary emphysema and oedema, and chronic ulcerative stomatitis. Microscopical lung findings were acute to subacute pneumonia with interstitial oedema and emphysema. Severe lymphocytic depletion was observed in lymph nodes. Severe acute to subacute meningoencephalitis was observed in one animal. Specific staining with two monoclonal antibodies directed against canine distemper virus (CDV) and phocine distemper virus was observed in a few lymphocytes in the spleen and lymph nodes of three seals. Anti-CDV neutralising antibodies were detected in sera from six animals. Seven of the seals were positive by reverse transcriptase-PCR for the morbillivirus phosphoprotein gene. The lesions observed were consistent with those in animals infected by a morbillivirus, and demonstrated that distemper has recently recurred in North Sea seals.
Disciplines :
Veterinary medicine & animal health
Author, co-author :
Jauniaux, Thierry ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de morphologie et pathologie > Département de morphologie et pathologie
Boseret, Géraldine ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de sciences des denrées alimentaires > Technologie des denrées alimentaires
Desmecht, M.
Haelters, J.
Manteca, C.
Tavernier, J.
van Gompel, J.
Coignoul, Freddy ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Services administratifs généraux > Vice-Recteur à la Qualité - Pathologie générale et autopsies - SMAQ (Serv. de Management et d'Accompagnement à la Qualité)
Language :
English
Title :
Morbillivirus in common seals stranded on the coasts of Belgium and northern France during summer 1998
Publication date :
2001
Journal title :
Veterinary Record
ISSN :
0042-4900
eISSN :
2042-7670
Publisher :
British Veterinary Medicine, London, United Kingdom