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Title: CHARACTERIZATION OF AN ADENOVIRUS THAT CAUSES HEMORRHAGIC DISEASE IN DEER (FOR THE U.S.-JAPAN COOPERATIVE PROGRAM IN NATURAL RESOURCES - MYCOPLASMOSIS PANEL)

Author
item Lehmkuhl, Howard
item Hobbs, Lea
item WOODS, L - UNIV.OF CA., DAVIS, CA.

Submitted to: United States Japan Natural Resources Animal and Avian Health Panel
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/7/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: An adenovirus has been associated with a newly recognized hemorrhagic disease in deer in North America. Both systemic and localized lesions have been associated with the hemorrhagic disease outbreaks. Adenovirus associated with systemic and localized vascular damage was demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Previously, a presumptive adenoviral bronchiolitis in a red deer has been described and bovine adenovirus type-6 (BAdV-6) has been isolated from a fallow deer with bronchopneumonia. Currently in ruminants, there are 10 BAdV, 2 caprine (GoAdV) and 6 ovine (OAdV) species. The objectives of this study were to describe the cultural, physicochemical and serological characteristics of the adenovirus isolated from a field case of hemorrhagic disease. The virus had the cultural, morphological and physicochemical characteristics of members of the Adenoviridae family. Restriction endonuclease patterns generated for the virus were unique compared to the currently recognized ruminant adenovirus species. Amino acid sequence alignments of the deer adenovirus hexon gene with OAdV isolate 287 (proposed Atadenovirus type species) indicates this virus is a member of the proposed new Atadenovirus genus of the Adenoviridae family. While the deer adenovirus was closely related antigenically to BAdV 7 and GoAdV 1, it appears sufficiently distinct culturally and molecularly to justify its consideration as a new adenovirus species. Because clinical disease was experimentally reproduced with the deer adenovirus isolate and the adenovirus hemorrhagic disease is similar to the clinical disease produced by epizootic hemorrhagic disease and bluetongue viruses in deer in the United States, adenovirus should be considered in the differential diagnosis in deer with hemorrhagic disease.