Abstract
In September 2014, seven sperm whales were stranded along Italy's Adriatic coastline. Postmortem investigations on 3 female adult whales and 1 male fetus carried by the largest female revealed molecular and immunohistochemical evidence of dolphin morbillivirus infection. A possible role of the virus in the stranding event was considered.
Keywords:
H gene; Italy; Physeter macrocephalus; dolphins; mass stranding; morbillivirus; viruses; whales; zoonoses.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Antigens, Viral / immunology
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Female
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Genome, Viral*
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Hemagglutinins, Viral / genetics
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Hydronephrosis / pathology
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Hydronephrosis / virology*
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Immunohistochemistry
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Italy
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Kidney / pathology
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Kidney / virology*
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Male
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Morbillivirus / genetics*
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Morbillivirus / immunology
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Morbillivirus / isolation & purification
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Morbillivirus Infections / pathology
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Morbillivirus Infections / virology*
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Sperm Whale / virology*
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Spleen / pathology
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Spleen / virology
Substances
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Antigens, Viral
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Hemagglutinins, Viral