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Tsai MS, Fogarty U, Byrne AW, O’Keeffe J, Newman C, Macdonald DW, Buesching CD. Effects of Mustelid gammaherpesvirus 1 (MusGHV-1) Reactivation in European Badger ( Meles meles) Genital Tracts on Reproductive Fitness. Pathogens 2020; 9:E769. [PMID: 32962280 PMCID: PMC7559395 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9090769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Reactivation of latent Gammaherpesvirus in the genital tract can lead to reproductive failure in domestic animals. Nevertheless, this pathophysiology has not received formal study in wild mammals. High prevalence of Mustelid gammaherpesvirus 1 (MusGHV-1) DNA detected in the genital tracts of European badgers (Meles meles) implies that this common pathogen may be a sexual transmitted infection. Here we used PCR to test MusGHV-1 DNA prevalence in genital swabs collected from 144 wild badgers in Ireland (71 males, 73 females) to investigate impacts on male fertility indicators (sperm abundance and testes weight) and female fecundity (current reproductive output). MusGHV-1 reactivation had a negative effect on female reproduction, but not on male fertility; however males had a higher risk of MusGHV-1 reactivation than females, especially during the late-winter mating season, and genital MusGHV-1 reactivation differed between age classes, where 3-5 year old adults had significantly lower reactivation rates than younger or older ones. Negative results in foetal tissues from MusGHV-1 positive mothers indicated that cross-placental transmission was unlikely. This study has broader implications for how wide-spread gammaherpesvirus infections could affect reproductive performance in wild Carnivora species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-shan Tsai
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK; (C.N.); (D.W.M.); (C.D.B.)
| | - Ursula Fogarty
- Irish Equine Centre, Johnstown, Naas, Co. Kildare W91 RH93, Ireland;
| | - Andrew W. Byrne
- One-Health Scientific Support Unit, Department of Agriculture, Agriculture House, Dublin 2 DO2 WK12, Ireland;
| | - James O’Keeffe
- Department of Agriculture, Agriculture House, Dublin 2 DO2 WK1, Ireland;
- Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4 D04 W6F6, Ireland
| | - Chris Newman
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK; (C.N.); (D.W.M.); (C.D.B.)
- Cook’s Lake Farming Forestry and Wildlife Inc (Ecological Consultancy), Queens County, NS B0J 2H0, Canada
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK; (C.N.); (D.W.M.); (C.D.B.)
| | - Christina D. Buesching
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Abingdon Road, Tubney House, Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL, UK; (C.N.); (D.W.M.); (C.D.B.)
- Cook’s Lake Farming Forestry and Wildlife Inc (Ecological Consultancy), Queens County, NS B0J 2H0, Canada
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