Fatal cowpox virus infection in captive banded mongooses (Mungos mungo)

Abstract

Cowpox virus infections have been described in various domestic and exotic animal species. This report is the first on an outbreak of fatal generalized cowpox virus infection among captive banded mongooses (Mungos mungo, suborder Feliformia). All animals of a colony of 8 mongooses showed a fulminant course of disease. The whole population died (n=7) or was euthanized (n=1) within 11 days. Postmortem examinations were performed on 4 animals. All animals showed extensive necrotizing inflammation of retropharyngeal lymph nodes, typical poxviral skin lesions, and multiple necrotic foci in liver and spleen. Three animals exhibited an ulcerating stomatitis. Pulmonary lesions, a common feature of fatal cowpox virus infections in other feliform species, were not obvious. Histopathologically, characteristic cytoplasmic inclusion bodies were detected in all affected organs but the spleen. Based on transmission electron microscopy and cell culture, Orthopoxvirus was identified as the etiology. The virus was further characterized by polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis, identifying it as cowpox virus. A survey in the habitat suggests wild brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) as the most likely source of infection.