A novel herpesvirus in 3 species of pheasants: mountain peacock pheasant (Polyplectron inopinatum), Malayan peacock pheasant (Polyplectron malacense), and Congo peafowl (Afropavo congensis).

ABSTRACT: The mountain peacock pheasant (Polyplectron inopinatum), the Malayan peacock pheasant (Polyplectron malacense), and the Congo peafowl (Afropavo congensis) are all listed as vulnerable to extinction under the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. Here the authors report fatal infection with a novel herpesvirus in all 3 species of birds. DNA was extracted from the livers of birds with hepatocellular necrosis and intranuclear eosinophilic inclusions consistent with herpesvirus infection. Based on degenerate herpesvirus primers and polymerase chain reaction, 220- and 519-base pair products of the herpes DNA polymerase and DNA terminase genes, respectively, were amplified. Sequence analysis revealed that all birds were likely infected with

SUBMITTER: Seimon TA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4310701 | biostudies-literature | 2012 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature