Skogvold Kim, Warren Kristin S, Jackson Bethany, Holyoake Carly S, Stalder Kathryn, Devlin Joanne M, Vitali Simone D, Wayne Adrian F, Legione Alistair, Robertson Ian, Vaughan-Higgins Rebecca J
Conservation Medicine Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, South Street, Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia.
Veterinary Department, Perth Zoo, 20 Labouchere Rd, South Perth, WA, 6151, Australia.
Ecohealth. 2017 Sep;14(3):518-529. doi: 10.1007/s10393-017-1254-9. Epub 2017 Jun 20.
Wild populations of the critically endangered woylie (Bettongia penicillata) recently declined by 90% in southwest Western Australia. Increased predation is the leading hypothesis for decline, but disease may be playing a role increasing susceptibility to predation. To explore this possibility, we surveyed woylie populations in the wild, in captivity and in a predator-free sanctuary for exposure to, and infection with, four known pathogens of macropods: herpesviruses, Wallal and Warrego orbiviruses, and Toxoplasma gondii. Our study found two of 68 individuals positive for neutralizing antibodies against known macropodid alphaherpesviruses. Three of 45 individuals were PCR positive for a herpesvirus that was shown to be a novel gammaherpesvirus or a new strain/variant of Potoroid Herpesvirus 1. Further sequence information is required to definitively determine its correct classification. There was no evidence of antibodies to orbivirus Wallal and Warrego serogroups, and all serological samples tested for T. gondii were negative. This is the first report of PCR and serological detection of herpesviruses in the woylie. Positive individuals did not demonstrate clinical signs of herpesviral diseases; therefore, the clinical significance of herpesviruses to wild woylie populations remains unclear. Further monitoring for herpesvirus infections will be important to inform disease risk analysis for this virus and determine temporal trends in herpesvirus activity that may relate to population health and conservation outcomes.
极度濒危的毛尾袋小鼠（Bettongia penicillata）的野生种群最近在澳大利亚西部西南部减少了90%。捕食增加是数量减少的主要假设，但疾病可能在增加对捕食的易感性方面发挥了作用。为了探究这种可能性，我们对野生、圈养以及在无捕食者保护区中的毛尾袋小鼠种群进行了调查，以了解它们接触和感染四种已知的有袋类动物病原体的情况：疱疹病毒、瓦拉尔和沃里戈环状病毒，以及刚地弓形虫。我们的研究发现，68只个体中有2只针对已知的有袋类动物甲型疱疹病毒的中和抗体呈阳性。45只个体中有3只针对一种疱疹病毒的PCR检测呈阳性，该病毒被证明是一种新型γ疱疹病毒或波托罗伊德疱疹病毒1的新菌株/变体。需要更多的序列信息来最终确定其正确分类。没有证据表明存在针对瓦拉尔环状病毒和沃里戈血清群的抗体，并且所有检测刚地弓形虫的血清学样本均为阴性。这是关于毛尾袋小鼠疱疹病毒PCR和血清学检测的首次报告。阳性个体未表现出疱疹病毒疾病的临床症状；因此，疱疹病毒对野生毛尾袋小鼠种群的临床意义仍不清楚。进一步监测疱疹病毒感染对于该病毒的疾病风险分析以及确定可能与种群健康和保护结果相关的疱疹病毒活动的时间趋势至关重要。
