Complex Virome in a Mesenteric Lymph Node from a Californian Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) with Polyserositis and Steatitis

Altan, Eda; Delaney, Martha A.; Colegrove, Kathleen M.; Spraker, Terry R.; Wheeler, Elizabeth A.; Deng, Xutao; Li, Yanpeng; Gulland, Frances M. D.; Delwart, Eric

An emaciated subadult free-ranging California sea lion (Csl or Zalophus californianus) died following stranding with lesions similar to 11 other stranded animals characterized by chronic disseminated granulomatous inflammation with necrotizing steatitis and vasculitis, involving visceral adipose tissues in the thoracic and peritoneal cavities. Histologically, affected tissues had extensive accumulations of macrophages with perivascular lymphocytes, plasma cells, and fewer neutrophils. Using viral metagenomics on a mesenteric lymph node six mammalian viruses were identified consisting of novel parvovirus, polyomavirus, rotavirus, anellovirus, and previously described Csl adenovirus 1 and Csl bocavirus 4. The causal or contributory role of these viruses to the gross and histologic lesions of this sea lion remains to be determined.