Cetacean morbillivirus in Humpback whales' exhaled breath

Autor(es)

Groch, Katia R. ^[1] ; Blazquez, Diana N. H. ^[1] ; Marcondes, Milton C. C. ^[2] ; Santos, Joana ^[2] ; Colosio, Adriana ^[2] ; Delgado, Josue Diaz ^[1] ; Catao-Dias, Jose L. ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Inst Baleia Jubarte, Caravelas - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES; v. 68, n. 4, p. 1736-1743, JUL 2021.
• Citações Web of Science: 1

Resumo

The humpback whale (HW; Megaptera novaeangliae) population that seasonally resides along the Brazilian coast concentrates in the Abrolhos Bank (Bahia and Espirito Santo states) for breeding during austral winter and spring. Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV, Paramyxoviridae family) is currently one of the most significant biological threats to cetaceans worldwide with high infection and mortality rates. CeMV is pleiotropic yet it has special tropism for the respiratory, lymphoid and nervous system and is primarily transmitted by the aerogenous route. A new lineage of CeMV, the Guiana dolphin morbillivirus (GDMV), is known to affect cetaceans off Brazil. GDMV was first detected in a Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) stranded in the Abrolhos Bank region, in 2010. In addition to pathologic examinations on stranded HW, pathogen survey of free-ranging HW may provide valuable insight into the epidemiology of diseases. We hypothesized that HW in the Brazilian breeding ground could be exposed to CeMV. Thus, in the present study, we investigated the presence of CeMV in exhaled breath condensates (EBC) of HW in the Abrolhos Bank. Overall, 73 samples of EBC from 48 groups of HW were collected during the breeding seasons of 2011 (n = 16) and 2012 (n = 57). One sample failed to have the reference gene amplified and was excluded from the study. CeMV was detected by a RT-qPCR method in 2 EBC samples, representing 2 whale groups. Phylogenetic analysis of partial morbillivirus phosphoprotein gene showed 100% homology to GDMV. Our results show that HW in Brazil are infected by CeMV with a relative prevalence of 4.3% (2/47) and demonstrate the suitability of using EBC and RT-qPCR as a non-invasive tool for CeMV survey in free-ranging whales. This pioneer study provides scientific basis for non-invasive CeMV monitoring of HW, suggests HW may play a role in the dynamics of CeMV and raises concern for potential conservation implications for this species. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 15/00735-6 - Pesquisa e caracterização da Morbilivirose em cetáceos do Brasil
• Beneficiário: Jose Luiz Catao Dias
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 19/11053-4 - Pesquisa de morbilivírus em amostras de ar expirado de baleias-jubarte (Megaptera novaeangliae) por meio de análise biomolecular (RT- q PCR)
• Beneficiário: Diana Netto Hernandez Blazquez
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Iniciação Científica
• Processo FAPESP: 17/02223-8 - Imunopatologia comparativa da infecção por Morbillivirus nos cetáceos: estudos histológico, imuno-histoquímico e molecular
• Beneficiário: Josué Díaz Delgado
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado
• Processo FAPESP: 15/05043-5 - Aspectos patológicos da morbilivirose e avaliação de coinfecções selecionadas em cetáceos da costa brasileira
• Beneficiário: Kátia Regina Groch
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Exterior - Estágio de Pesquisa - Pós-Doutorado