Evidence of parapox-, alphaherpes- and pestivirus infections in carcasses of semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) from Finnmark, Norway

• Published in: Rangifer
• Main Authors: Morten Tryland, Torill Mørk, Kathrine A. Ryeng, Karen K. Sørensen
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Septentrio Academic Publishing 2005
• Subjects: infectious disease; virology; virus infection; wildlife; Animal culture; SF1-1100; Norway; Finnmark; Northern Norway; Rangifer; Rangifer tarandus
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.7557/2.25.2.255; https://doaj.org/article/88ab3097ce09437083c86330e68f54d0

During March to May 2000, 48 carcasses of semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) were collected on winter pastures and calving grounds from two herds in western Finnmark and two herds in eastern Finnmark, northern Norway. The animals were autopsied and blood and tissue samples were collected for serology (alphaherpes- and pestivirus; virus neutralization test) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR; parapoxvirus; B2L gene) investigations. Autopsy revealed that 39 of 48 animals (81%) had died of emaciation. Parapoxvirus-specific DNA was detected in samples from 6 of 48 animals (12.5%; liver, parotid salivary gland and/or pulmonary lymph nodes). A DNA sequence of 376 base pairs from a PCR amplicon obtained from a liver sample from one animal showed 98-99% identity with orf virus strain Orf-11 and reindeer parapoxvirus isolates from Norway and Finland (1992 and 1994), 92-93% similarity with pseudocowpoxvirus and 87% similarity with bovine papular stomatitis virus. Alphaherpes- and pestivirus antibodies were detected in 10% and 33% of the animals, respectively. These results indicates that parapoxvirus, presumably orf-virus, is present among reindeer also in Finnmark, although contagious ecthyma has never been reported in reindeer in this important reindeer herding area. Furthermore, they show that herpes- and pestiviruses are still endemic in reindeer herds in Finnmark. The nature of these viruses and their impact on reindeer health and reproduction and reindeer herding economy should be further addressed, as well as the possibility that these viruses may be transferred between reindeer and domestic animals in this region. Abstract in Norwegian / Sammendrag: I løpet av perioden mars-mai 2000 ble 48 reinsdyrkadavre (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) samlet inn fra vinterbeiter og kalvingsområder fra to flokker i Vest-Finnmark og to i Øst-Finnmark, Norge. Dyrene ble obdusert, og blod og vevsprøver ble samlet for påvisning av antistoffer mot alfaherpes- og pestivirus i blod(serologi) og tilstedeværelse av ...