Novel iridovirus in a nautilus (Nautilus spp.)

Department of Small Animal Medicine, Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Zoo and Exotics Pathology Services, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens 30602, USA. crg@uga.edu

Intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies suggestive of iridovirus infection were observed in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from a nautilus (Nautilus spp.) that died without premonitory signs. Transmission electron microscopy revealed enveloped, hexagonal, viral particles that measured approximately 176 nm in diameter. Virions contained a dense central core and morphology typical of iridoviruses. Extracted DNA was amplified using primers homologous to conserved iridovirus sequences. The amplicons were cloned, sequenced, and determined to be approximately 60% similar to reported amphibian iridovirus sequences. A polymerase chain reaction-generated digoxigenin probe was used to detect viral nucleic acid in tissue sections by DNA in situ hybridization and high-affinity cytochemistry. The detected nucleic acid corresponded to the inclusion bodies observed microscopically. This represents a novel iridovirus of mollusks.