Ranavirus infection in a group of wild-caught Lake Urmia newts Neurergus crocatus imported from Iraq into Germany

Abstract

High mortality, in association with anorexia and skin ulcerations, occurred in a group of wild-caught Lake Urmia newts Neurergus crocatus, imported from Iraq in 2011. Predominant findings in the pathological examinations consisted of systemic hemorrhages and ulcerative dermatitis. Ranavirus DNA was detected via PCR in 2 of 3 dead animals, and a part of the major capsid protein (MCP) gene was sequenced. The analyzed portion of the MCP gene was 99% identical to the corresponding portion of the frog virus 3 genome. This is the first description of a ranavirus in Lake Urmia newts and in wild-caught amphibians from Iraq, as well as the first description of ranavirus infection in a urodele from the Middle East.