Persistent Infection in Harbor Seals 12-13 Years after Phocine Distemper Virus Epizootics in 1988 and 2002, North Sea
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Publication date
2025-12-31
Authors
van de Bildt, Marco W G
Rijks, J.M.
Jensen, Trine Hammer
Brasseur, Sophie M J M
Kik, M.J.L.
Osterhaus, A.D.
Grone, A.
Kuiken, Thijs
IJzer, J.
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Article
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Abstract
Phocine distemper virus caused epizootics of fatal pneumonia in North Sea harbor seals in 1988 and 2002. Two seals that stranded years later were infected with defective phocine distemper virus variants that caused severe encephalomyelitis. Old seal encephalitis resembled subacute sclerosing panencephalitis in humans and old dog encephalitis in canines.
Keywords
Animals, Distemper Virus, Phocine/genetics, Distemper/epidemiology, Phocoena/virology, North Sea/epidemiology, Persistent Infection/veterinary, Disease Outbreaks/veterinary, Phoca/virology, Taverne
Citation
van de Bildt, M W G, Rijks, J M, Jensen, T H, Brasseur, S M J M, Kik, M J L, Osterhaus, A D M E, Gröne, A, Kuiken, T & IJzer, J 2025, 'Persistent Infection in Harbor Seals 12-13 Years after Phocine Distemper Virus Epizootics in 1988 and 2002, North Sea', Emerging Infectious Diseases, vol. 31, no. 12, pp. 2324-2327. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3112.250329