Short Communication A novel pestivirus associated with deaths in Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica)

During investigations into recent population decreases in Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica) 21 animals found dead or dying were necropsied. Immunohistochemistry revealed the presence of a pestivirus in organs from two of the 21 chamois. From one of these animals a pestivirus was isolated from the spleen, skin and serum. The virus had better growth in ovine than in bovine cells and was neutralized most effectively by an anti-border disease virus (BDV) reference antiserum. Using panpestivirus and genotype-specific primers selected from 59-untranslated region (UTR) of the pestivirus genome, BDV RNA was demonstrated by RT-PCR. Comparison of the chamois sequences from 59-UTR, entire N pro and E2 gene coding regions