Abstract
BackgroundThe Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) is a small, non enveloped, positive sense single-stranded RNA virus in the genus Cardiovirus, family Picornaviridae, with two known serotypes. It is spread worldwide and infects a huge range of vertebrate hosts with zoonotic potential for humans. The pig is the mammal most likely to be impacted on with the disease, but EMCV occurrence has also been reported in non-human primates and in a variety of domestic, captive and wild animals. Until now, human cases have been very rare and the risk appears to be almost negligible in spite of human susceptibility to the infection.Case presentationBetween September and November 2012 a fatal Encephalomyocarditis virus outbreak involving four Barbary macaques and 24 crested porcupines occurred at a rescue centre for wild and exotic animals in Central Italy. In this open-field zoo park located near Grosseto, Tuscany about 1000 animals belonging to different species, including various non-human primates were hosted at that time. Sudden deaths were generally observed without any evident symptoms or only with mild nonspecific clinical signs. The major gross change was characterised by grey-white necrotic foci in the myocardium and the same EMCV strain was isolated both in macaques and crested porcupines. Phylogenetic analysis has confirmed that only one EMCV strain is circulating in Italy, capable of infecting different animal species.ConclusionsThis report confirms the susceptibility of non-human primates to the EMCV infection and describes the disease in porcupine, a common wild Italian and African species. No human cases were observed, but given the zoonotic potential of EMCV these findings are of importance in the context of animal-human interface.
Highlights
The Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) is a small, non enveloped, positive sense single-stranded RNA virus in the genus Cardiovirus, family Picornaviridae, with two known serotypes
This report confirms the susceptibility of non-human primates to the EMCV infection and describes the disease in porcupine, a common wild Italian and African species
No human cases were observed, but given the zoonotic potential of EMCV these findings are of importance in the context of animal-human interface
Summary
This case describes an EMCV outbreak in captive Barbary macaques and crested porcupines in Italy, 5 years after the one reported in lemurs in another Italian open-field zoo park [3]. It confirms the susceptibility of non-human primates to the EMCV infection. When sudden death of non-human primates occurs without obvious symptoms and a severe myocarditis is observed at necropsy EMCV should always be included in differential diagnosis. The results of this report indicate that EMCV is responsible of myocarditis and sudden asymptomatic death both in Barbary macaque and crested porcupine. Phylogenetic analysis confirms that only one EMCV strain is circulating in Italy, capable of infecting different animal species. Abbreviations BHK21: Baby Hamster Kidney; BLAST: Basic local alignment search tool; EMCV: Encephalomyocarditis virus; IEM: Immunoelectron microscopy; IZSLER: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’ Emilia Romagna; IZSLT: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana; PTA: Phosphotungstic acid; RT-PCR: Reverse TranscriptasePolymerase Chain Reaction; WWF: World wide fund
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