Cetacean morbilliviruses (CeMVs) are significant causes of mortality in many cetacean species in epizootics and smaller outbreaks. Despite the prominence of skin lesions in seals and terrestrial animals, including humans, affected by other morbilliviruses, they have not been reported in CeMV-infected cetaceans. Here we report CeMV-associated skin lesions in a fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) with subacute, systemic CeMV infection that live-stranded in Scotland, UK. Grossly, the skin was sloughing in large sheets, presumed due to autolysis, but histological examination showed syncytia, below the dermoepidermal junction, that were strongly immunopositive for morbillivirus antigen, as were syncytia in other organs. By polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the relative load of CeMV-specific RNA was largest in the liver and urinary bladder, even in formalin-fixed, paraffin-wax embedded samples. Levels were low in skin and only detectable in frozen samples. Genetic comparison of the CeMV revealed close alignment with isolates from fin whales from the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, but that it was distinct from the porpoise CeMV clade. These findings show skin samples can be used to diagnose CeMV infection in cetaceans, highlighting the potential of ante-mortem sampling for monitoring disease in current populations and assessment of changes in host and pathogen genetics.

中文翻译：

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新型鲸鱼皮炎和相对病毒核酸组织负荷在鲸鱼（Balaenoptera physalus）中感染有全身鲸类科甲虫病毒。

鲸类麻疹病毒（CeMV）是在动物流行病和较小规模暴发中许多鲸类物种致死的重要原因。尽管海豹和陆地动物，包括人在内的皮肤病害受到其他结核杆菌病毒的侵害，但在CeMV感染的鲸类动物中尚未见到它们的报道。在这里，我们报道了在英国苏格兰生活着的亚急性系统性CeMV感染的鲸鱼（Balaenoptera physalus）中与CeMV相关的皮肤损伤。总的来说，推测是由于自溶引起的，皮肤呈大片状脱落，但组织学检查显示，在真皮表皮交界处下方出现合胞菌，与其他器官的合胞菌一样，对麻疹病毒抗原具有强烈的免疫阳性作用。通过聚合酶链反应（PCR），CeMV特异性RNA的相对负载在肝和膀胱中最大，即使在福尔马林固定的石蜡蜡包埋样品中也是如此。皮肤中的水平低，仅在冷冻样品中可检测到。CeMV的遗传比较显示与北大西洋和地中海鳍鲸的分离物紧密对齐，但与海豚CeMV进化枝不同。这些发现表明，皮肤样本可用于诊断鲸类中的CeMV感染，突出了事前采样的潜力，可用于监测当前人群中的疾病以及评估宿主和病原体遗传学的变化。