Abstract
Ranaviral infections have been associated with mass mortality events in captive and wild amphibian, fish, and reptile populations globally. In Australia, two distinct types of ranaviruses have been isolated: epizootic haematopoietic necrosis virus in fish and a Frog virus 3-like ranavirus in amphibians. Experimental studies and serum surveys have demonstrated that several Australian native fish, amphibian, and reptile species are susceptible to infection and supported the theory that ranavirus is naturally circulating in Australian herpetofauna. However, ranaviral infections have not been detected in captive or wild lizards in Australia. Oral-cloacal swabs were collected from 42 wild lizards from northern Queensland and 83 captive lizards from private collections held across three states/territories. Samples were tested for ranaviral DNA using a quantitative PCR assay. This assay detected ranaviral DNA in 30/83 (36.1%) captive and 33/42 (78.6%) wild lizard samples. This is the first time molecular evidence of ranavirus has been reported in Australian lizards.
Highlights
Ranaviruses are large double-stranded DNA viruses that infect a wide range of ectothermic vertebrates globally
Epizootic haematopoietic necrosis virus (EHNV, an Ambystoma tigrinum virus-like ranavirus) is considered to be the most important ranavirus affecting fish and is listed as notifiable by The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (Price et al 2017a; OIE 2018). This ranaviral species is endemic to southern Australia and was regularly reported during mortality events in wild redfin perch (Perca fluviatilis) in Victoria (Langdon et al 1986; Whittington et al 2010)
Ranaviral DNA was detected in samples collected from 30/83 (36.1%) captive lizards belonging to collections 1 and 2, and in 33/42 (78.6%) from wild lizards sampled at Wambiana Cattle Station, Paluma Range National Park, Girringun National Park, Tully Gorge National Park, and Wooroonooran National Park
Summary
Ranaviruses are large double-stranded DNA viruses that infect a wide range of ectothermic vertebrates globally. Epizootic haematopoietic necrosis virus (EHNV, an Ambystoma tigrinum virus-like ranavirus) is considered to be the most important ranavirus affecting fish and is listed as notifiable by The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) (Price et al 2017a; OIE 2018). This ranaviral species is endemic to southern Australia and was regularly reported during mortality events in wild redfin perch (Perca fluviatilis) in Victoria (Langdon et al 1986; Whittington et al 2010). Several fish species and the European common frog (Rana temporaria) have been shown to be susceptible to EHNV via experimental exposure (Langdon 1989; Jensen et al 2009, 2011; Bayley et al 2013; Becker et al 2013, 2016)
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