Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV, family Paramyxoviridae) is a re-emergent pathogen associated with severe epizootic outbreaks causing high mortality among cetaceans worldwide. Recently, CeMV caused an unusual mortality event of Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) in Brazil. Partial sequence of the viral phosphoprotein (P) gene showed that the Guiana dolphin morbillivirus (GDMV) might represent a new lineage of CeMV. This study aimed to develop a molecular technique to detect the most common CeMV strains known to circulate in the Atlantic Ocean: GDMV, Dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) and Pilot-whale morbillivirus (PWMV). A sensible real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) method based on intercalating dye, targeting the P gene was described. This assay successfully detected GDMV, PWMV and DMV from field samples. Its performance was compared to a RT-qPCR method that specifically detects GDMV. Both assays had high sensibility and excellent intra- and inter-assay reproducibility. A total of 109 field samples from 32 Guiana dolphins were screened for CeMV by conventional RT-PCR in parallel with the RT-qPCR assay. The detection rate increased from 32% to 60% by use of the novel RT-qPCR. The RT-qPCR assay described herein allows rapid and sensitive detection of Atlantic CeMV strains, and is potentially suitable for screening of CeMV globally.

鲸类麻疹病毒（CeMV，副粘病毒科）是一种与严重的流行病暴发有关的再生病原体，在全世界的鲸类中引起很高的死亡率。最近，CeMV引起了圭亚那海豚（Sotalia guianensis）的不寻常死亡事件。） 在巴西。病毒磷蛋白（P）基因的部分序列显示，圭亚那海豚丝状病毒（GDMV）可能代表了CeMV的新谱系。这项研究旨在开发一种分子技术，以检测已知在大西洋中传播的最常见的CeMV株：GDMV，海豚morbillivirus（DMV）和Pilot-whale morbillivirus（PWMV）。描述了一种基于插层染料的靶向P基因的实时反转录聚合酶链反应（RT-qPCR）方法。该测定法成功地从现场样品中检测出GDMV，PWMV和DMV。将其性能与专门检测GDMV的RT-qPCR方法进行了比较。两种测定法均具有高灵敏度和极好的测定内和测定间重现性。通过常规RT-PCR与RT-qPCR分析方法平行，从32个圭亚那海豚中筛选出总共109个野外样品的CeMV。通过使用新型RT-qPCR，检测率从32％增加到60％。本文所述的RT-qPCR测定法允许快速和灵敏地检测大西洋CeMV菌株，并且潜在地适合于全球筛选CeMV。