Investigations of mortalities involving wild mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) revealed the presence of a herpesvirus associated with skin lesions on the plantar surface of the foot web of one duck. Ultrastructurally, the paracrystalline arrays of viral core particles and unencapsidated nucleoids in the nucleus, and the enveloped viruses in cytoplasmic vacuoles are compatible with a herpesvirus. This appears to be the first report of cutaneous lesions in a mallard duck attributable to a herpesvirus. Whether this lesion is due to duck virus enteritis (DVE), suggesting that cutaneous shedding is possible, or due to another uncharacterized herpesvirus of ducks is unclear.
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1 January 1991
Cutaneous Herpesvirus Infection in a Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos)
Zbigniew W. Wojcinski,
Helen S. J. Wojcinski,
Ian K. Barker,
Norval W. King
Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Vol. 27 • No. 1
January 1991
Vol. 27 • No. 1
January 1991
Anas platyrhynchos
case report
herpesvirus
mallard duck
skin