There are few studies on pathogens affecting free-ranging pinnipeds from South America. We employed molecular techniques to identify a gammaherpesvirus infection by two putative novel herpesvirus species: Otariid herpesvirus 5 (OtHV-5), possibly associated with ulcerative cutaneous lesions, and Otariid herpesvirus 6 (OtHV-6) in a wild South American fur seal ( Arctocephalus australis) that stranded alive in Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil. Here we provide new information regarding pinniped herpesviruses, important for the design of future disease surveillance studies.
Keywords: Brazil; glycoprotein B; herpesvirus; pathology; pinnipeds; ulcerative skin lesions; virology.