Characterisation of morbilliviruses isolated from Lake Baikal seals (Phoca sibirica).

ABSTRACT

Sequence analysis of the haemagglutinin protein (H) gene of the morbillivirus (PDV-2) isolated from a Siberian seal (Phoca sibirica) during the 1987/1988 epizootic in Lake Baikal revealed that it was most closely related to two recent isolates of canine distemper virus (CDV) from Germany and different from CDV vaccines currently in use in that region. The virus continued to circulate in seals in Lake Baikal after the 1987/1988 epizootic since sera collected from culled seals in the spring of 1992 were positive in morbillivirus ELISA tests, reacting most strongly with the CDV antigen.