Ranavirus in wild edible frogs Pelophylax kl. esculentus in Denmark

• Published in: Diseases of aquatic organisms 2009-05, Vol.85 (1), p.7-14
• Main Authors: ARIEL, Ellen, KIELGAST, Jos, SVART, Hans Erik, LARSEN, Knud, TAPIOVAARA, Hannele, JENSEN, Britt Bang, HOLOPAINEN, Riikka
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Animals, Wild; Anura; Applied ecology; Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; Biological and medical sciences; Capsid Proteins - chemistry; Capsid Proteins - genetics; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Denmark - epidemiology; DNA Virus Infections - epidemiology; DNA Virus Infections - mortality; DNA Virus Infections - veterinary; DNA Virus Infections - virology; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; Pelophylax; Ranavirus; Ranavirus - physiology; Ranidae - virology; Replicative cycle, interference, host-virus relations, pathogenicity, miscellaneous strains; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; Virology
• ISSN: 0177-5103; 1616-1580
• DOI: 10.3354/dao02060

A survey for the amphibian pathogens ranavirus and Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) was conducted in Denmark during August and September 2008. The public was encouraged via the media to register unusual mortalities in a web-based survey. All members of the public that registered cases were interviewed by phone and 10 cases were examined on suspicion of disease-induced mortality. All samples were negative for Bd. Ranavirus was isolated from 2 samples of recently dead frogs collected during a mass mortality event in an artificial pond near Slagelse, Denmark. The identity of the virus was confirmed by immunofluorescent antibody test. Sequencing of the major capsid protein gene showed the isolate had more than 97.3% nucleotide homology to 6 other ranaviruses.