Isolation and characterisation of a ruminant alphaherpesvirus closely related to bovine herpesvirus 1 in a free-ranging red deer

The current study reports the first isolation in a free-ranging red deer of a BoHV-1 closely related virus. The isolate was antigenically, genomically and genetically characterised by comparison with several ruminant alphaherpesvirus. Immunofluorescence assays revealed the isolate was antigenically distinct from bovine and caprine alphaherpesviruses. Similarly, BamHI and BstEII restriction analyses demonstrated the genomic difference between the isolate and the other ruminant alphaherpesviruses. Next, the sequencing of selected parts of UL27 and US8 genes showed a high degree of homologies between each BoHV-1 related ruminant alphaherpesvirus and the isolate. Besides the close relationship between all ruminant alphaherpesviruses, the phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolate clustered with CvHV-1.The first isolation of a virus closely related to BoHV-1 in a free-ranging red deer is reported. Data demonstrate that a CvHV-1 strain, named Anlier, circulates in wild red deer in continental Europe. Anlier strain show consistent differences with the virus isolated from Scottish farmed red deer. All together, these results improve our understanding of ruminant alphaherpesviruses.The family Herpesviridae includes nearly two hundred viruses isolated from various hosts including molluscs, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals and at least one invertebrate. Based on biological and molecular properties, the family has been divided into three subfamilies of viruses, Alpha-, Beta- and Gammaherpesvirinae, which have co-evolved with different host species. Illustrating the concept, several ruminant alphaherpesviruses form a cluster of antigenically and genetically related viruses [1]. Seven alphaherpesviruses belong to this cluster where bovine herpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1), responsible for infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), a cattle disease of major economic concern in Europe, is the prototype [2] : bovine herpesvirus 5 (BoHV-5) causing meningo-encephalitis in calves [