Koizumi Nest Animal Hospital, 3-24 Bettou, Yahata Nishi, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 806-0062, Japan.
Laboratory of Veterinary Microbiology, Joint Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan.
Viruses. 2022 Apr 21;14(5):857. doi: 10.3390/v14050857.
African pygmy hedgehogs () are popular exotic pets in Japan, and their breeding numbers have recently increased. Although various diseases have been reported in hedgehogs, including skin, respiratory, neurological, and neoplastic diseases, most of the causes remain unidentified. In this study, we investigated herpesvirus, adenovirus, and coronavirus infections among 150 African pygmy hedgehogs in Japan and evaluated the correlations between virus infection and diseases. A novel herpesvirus named Atelerix albiventris herpesvirus 1 (AAHeV), and African pygmy hedgehog adenovirus 1 (AhAdV-1) were detected in 14 and 3 oral swab samples, respectively. AAHeV infection may be related to neurological clinical signs. Interestingly, no hedgehog with a neoplastic disorder tested positive for AAHeV. Further research is required to determine the pathogenicity and prevalence of the detected viruses.
非洲侏儒刺猬（）是日本流行的外来宠物，其繁殖数量最近有所增加。尽管已经报道了刺猬的各种疾病，包括皮肤、呼吸、神经和肿瘤疾病，但大多数病因仍未确定。在这项研究中，我们调查了日本 150 只非洲侏儒刺猬中的疱疹病毒、腺病毒和冠状病毒感染情况，并评估了病毒感染与疾病之间的相关性。在 14 份口腔拭子样本和 3 份口腔拭子样本中分别检测到了一种新型疱疹病毒，命名为 Atelerix albiventris herpesvirus 1（AAHeV）和非洲侏儒刺猬腺病毒 1（AhAdV-1）。AAHeV 感染可能与神经临床症状有关。有趣的是，没有患有肿瘤疾病的刺猬检测到 AAHeV 呈阳性。需要进一步研究以确定检测到的病毒的致病性和流行率。
