Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix, AZ 85008, USA,
Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 84308, USA.
J Zoo Wildl Med. 2024 Jun;55(2):490-501. doi: 10.1638/2022-0154.
Four of seven Patagonian maras () at a zoological institution developed acute neurologic signs that progressed to tetraparesis and death. All affected were young adult females (10 mon-5 yr old) that presented over 11 d. Clinical signs were rapidly progressive and unresponsive to supportive therapies. Two of the four individuals were found deceased 4 d after hospitalization. Two individuals were euthanized due to poor prognosis and decline after 6 and 8 d, respectively. Simultaneously, an additional mara developed mild and self-resolving clinical signs, including a kyphotic gait and paraparesis. On gross examination, there were widespread petechiae and ecchymoses of the skeletal muscle, myocardium, skin, pericardium, urinary bladder mucosa, and spinal cord. On histopathology, all animals had necrotizing myelitis and rhombencephalitis, with intranuclear viral inclusions in three individuals. Electron microscopy confirmed herpesviral replication and assembly complexes in neurons and oligodendrocytes. Consensus PCR performed on spinal cord, brainstem, or cerebellum revealed a novel most closely related to . The virus was amplified and sequenced and is referred to as Simplexvirus dolichotinealpha1. It is unknown whether this virus is endemic in Patagonian mara or whether it represents an aberrant host species. Clinicians should be aware of this virus and its potential to cause severe, rapidly progressive, life-threatening disease in this species.
一家动物机构的 7 只巴塔哥尼亚马鹿中有 4 只出现急性神经症状，进而发展为四肢瘫痪和死亡。所有受影响的动物均为年轻成年雌性（10 月龄至 5 岁），发病时间超过 11 天。临床症状迅速进展，对支持性治疗无反应。4 只动物中有 2 只在住院后 4 天死亡。2 只动物因预后不良和病情恶化分别在 6 天和 8 天后被安乐死。与此同时，另一只马鹿出现轻度、自行缓解的临床症状，包括脊柱后凸步态和四肢瘫痪。大体检查时，骨骼肌、心肌、皮肤、心包、膀胱黏膜和脊髓广泛出现瘀点和瘀斑。组织病理学检查，所有动物均有坏死性脊髓炎和脑脊髓炎，3 只动物的细胞核内有病毒包涵体。电子显微镜证实了神经元和少突胶质细胞中的疱疹病毒复制和组装复合物。对脊髓、脑干或小脑进行的共识聚合酶链反应显示出一种新型病毒，与 Simplexvirus dolichotinealpha1 最密切相关。该病毒已被扩增和测序，并被称为 Simplexvirus dolichotinealpha1。目前尚不清楚这种病毒是否在巴塔哥尼亚马鹿中流行，还是代表了一种异常的宿主物种。临床医生应该意识到这种病毒及其在该物种中引起严重、迅速进展、危及生命疾病的潜力。
