Gammaherpesvirus in semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in Finnmark County, Norway

Abstract

Gammaherpesvirus causes the disease, malignant catarrhal fever (MCF), in wild and domestic ruminants worldwide. In Norway MCF occurs sporadically in wild and domestic ruminants. The present study examined the extent that semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in Finnmark, Norway, are exposed to gammaherpesvirus. A serological screening was performed to determine the prevalence of gammaherpesvirus antibodies on slaughtered reindeer in Finnmark. The overall seroprevalence was 3.5% (n=3339). The effect of geography, animal density, age, gender and carcass weight on the risk of exposure to gammaherpesvirus (i.e. seropositive) was assessed using a logistic regression model.Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed, both a specific OvHV2 protocol, targeting the FGAM synthase in ORF 73, and a consensus PCR to detect a wider range of gammaherpesviruses, targeting the polymerase gene. Amplified products from both PCR methods were sequenced. Results from the OvHV2 PCR showed 35% homology (48 nucleotides) to OvHV2, however the match did not correlate to the expected sequence location between the second set primers (555/556). Alignment of sequences obtained from the consensus PCR to other known gammaherpesviruses in GenBank, showed greater but still restricted homology. This suggests that reindeer in Finnmark may be infected by an unknown gammaherpesvirus.