Avipoxvirus in great tits ()

Ivan Literak (1) , Pavel Kulich (2) , Blanka Robesova (2) , Peter Adamik (3) , Eva Roubalova (1)

1 FVHE VFU - Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases [Brno]
2 VRI - Veterinary Research Institute [Brno]
3 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science

A total of six cases and 37 suspect cases of skin avipoxvirus infection in great tits () have been described in central Europe since 2005. Most of the cases were diagnosed during the winter season, from October to March. Analyses of the 4b core protein gene showed identical or almost identical DNA sequence in six isolates (one from Austria, three from Hungary, and two from Czech Republic). A morphogenesis of the avipoxvirus including a constitution of acidophilic-type inclusions (ATIs) was documented by electron microscopy in cells from lesions on great tits found in Czech Republic. Moreover, the ATI body protein gene was demonstrated using polymerase chain reaction in the isolate that caused ATIs. A number of new cases of poxvirus infection in great tits have emerged in central Europe since 2005, and the reason for this sudden increase remains unknown.

Mots clés: Bird; Virus; Disease; Czech Republic; Slovakia; Germany

Ivan Literak, Pavel Kulich, Blanka Robesova, Peter Adamik, Eva Roubalova. Avipoxvirus in great tits (). European Journal of Wildlife Research, 2009, 56 (4), pp.529-534. ⟨10.1007/s10344-009-0345-5⟩. ⟨hal-00539081⟩