ISOLATION AND ANTIBODY PREVALENCE OF A PARAPOXVIRUS IN WILD JAPANESE SEROWS (CAPRICORNIS-CRISPUS)

An epizootic suspected to be caused by parapoxviruses occurred in wint er, 1984-85, among wild Japanese serows (Capricornis crispus) with nod ular or papular lesions in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, Virus isolations we re attempted on 30 animals using bovine fetal testicle cell cultures. Viral agents growing with cytopathic effects were isolated from six an imals. The agents were identified as parapoxvirus from electron micros copic findings and physico-chemical characteristics. Antibody prevalen ce to the isolated agent, named S-1, was examined by enzyme-linked imm unosorbent assay. No antibodies were detected among 153 sera obtained during two winters 1981-82 and 1982-83, but one of 189 sera collected in the winter of 1983-84 was positive. In contrast, 75 (32%) of 237 se ra had antibodies to S-1 in 1984-85, when the disease was first detect ed. Antibody prevalences of 1984-85 were highest (39%) in December 198 4, the first month of animal capture, and declined gradually to 20% in March 1985.