1161340

brief-report2023
VDIXXX10.1177/10406387231161340Poxvirus infection in a Cerrado porcupineSilva et al.

Brief Report

Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation

Brazilian porcupinepox virus infection in a 2023, Vol. 35(3) 304­–306

© 2023 The Author(s)
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free-ranging neotropical porcupine in Mato sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/10406387231161340
https://doi.org/10.1177/10406387231161340
jvdi.sagepub.com
Grosso, Brazil

David J. F. Silva,1* Janaina M. A. R. Moreira,* Marlon Ribeiro,

Fernanda H. Maruyama, Thaís O. Morgado, Luciano Nakazato,
Valeria Dutra, Marcos A. Souza, Edson M. Colodel

Abstract. Although the novel Brazilian porcupinepox virus (BPoPV) can infect wild porcupines, its lethality and zoonotic
potential are not well-established. In May 2021, a free-ranging neotropical porcupine (Coendou longicaudatus boliviensis)
rescued from the natural savanna in the Brazilian Cerrado, Mato Grosso State, was presented with a lethal poxviral infection.
Clinical signs and PCR detection of BPoPV supported the diagnosis. Poxviral lesions included erythema, exfoliative dermatitis,
and erosions involving mainly the face, hindlimb, and vulva. Histologically, the lesions consisted of proliferative and necrotic
dermatitis, intraepidermal and follicular pustules, and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies in keratinocytes. Phylogenetic
analysis revealed BPoPV strains closely related to other rodent-infecting poxviruses. This poxviral infection resulted in the
death of a specimen of C. l. boliviensis; the effect on species conservation, and the potential of spillover into humans and other
vertebrates remain unknown.

Keywords: Brazilian porcupinepox virus; Cerrado; neotropical porcupines; wildlife.

Poxviruses have historically posed challenges to the health
of humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Aside from the
notorious variola virus, the causative agent of one of the
deadliest infectious diseases in history,2,8,3 various poxvi-
ruses infect vertebrates, including humans.17 The family
Poxviridae comprises 22 genera and 83 species,14,17 of which
at least 3 genera can cause zoonotic infections—Parapoxvi-
rus, Yatapoxvirus, and Orthopoxvirus. Despite the availabil-
ity of epidemiologic information about the host range for
most orthopoxviruses, such as cowpox, mpox (monkeypox),
vaccinia, and variola viruses, the emergence of generalist
poxviruses reveals their high potential for spillover into
novel hosts, as evidenced by the reported case of human-to-
dog transmission during the current human mpox outbreak.11
The host assemblage of poxviruses has been proven to be
more broad-ranging than formerly established, and rodents
can serve as virus reservoirs.4,12 A new poxvirus species has
been detected in the Brazilian porcupine (Coendou prehensi-
lis) in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil.7 This poxvi-
rus was tentatively named Brazilian porcupinepox virus
(BPoPV; Poxviridae). Brazilian porcupines are listed as Low
Concerning in the IUCN Red List (https://www.iucnredlist.
org/species/101228458/22214580); however, the reported
poxvirus-related death of C. prehensilis warns conservation-
ists of a threat to the species.7
In May 2021, the Department of Mato Grosso State for
the Environment (Secretaria de Estado de Meio Ambiente,
Mato Grosso; SEMA/MT) encountered a Cerrado porcupine
(Rodentia, Erethizontidae, C. longicaudatus boliviensis).
The individual was severely dehydrated and was immedi-
ately referred to the Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso
Veterinary Hospital (HOVET-UFMT), Cuiabá, Mato Grosso.
After a thorough physical examination, the rodent was admit-
ted to the Wildlife Unit of the HOVET-UFMT. Clinical signs
included wrinkled and scaly erythema (mainly of the head,
hindlimb, and vulva) and lethargy; hematologic findings
included metabolic acidosis and hypergammaglobulinemia.
Unfortunately, the patient died the next day despite support-
ive care and was submitted immediately for autopsy.
Gross findings in this Cerrado porcupine comprised typi-
cal poxviral skin lesions, consistent with reported infection by
BPoPV.7 Erythematous papules were in clusters on several
regions (auricular, nasal, perioral, periocular, chin, perianal,
Veterinary Pathology Laboratory (Silva, Moreira, Ribeiro, Souza,
Colodel), Molecular Biology Laboratory (Maruyama, Nakazato),
Center for Wildlife Medicine and Research (Morgado), and Veterinary
Microbiology Diagnostic Laboratory (Dutra), Veterinary Hospital–
Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brazil.
*These authors contributed equally to this work.
1
Corresponding author: David J. F. Silva, Veterinary Pathology
Laboratory, Hospital Veterinário, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso,
Av. Fernando Corrêa da Costa, 2.367, Cuiabá, MT, CEP 78.060-900,
Brazil. davidjose@veterinario.med.br
 Poxvirus infection in a Cerrado porcupine 305

Figure 1. Brazilian porcupinepox virus infection in a free-ranging neotropical porcupine. A. Epidermal thickening of the eyelids resulted
in the occlusion of the palpebral fissure. B. Superficial erosions and ochre crusting on nose, lips, and chin. C. Psoriasiform epidermal
hyperplasia at the epidermal–dermal junction. Inset: higher magnification of boxed area. H&E. D. Keratinocytes with ballooning degeneration
often containing a round-to-oval, eosinophilic cytoplasmic B-type inclusion body. H&E.

genital, and thigh) and tended to coalesce into plaques with an
irregular surface, separated by superficial-to-deep and moder-
ately erythematous striae. The marked epidermal thickening
of the eyelids resulted in bilateral occlusion of the palpebral
fissures. In addition, the nose, lips, and muzzle had superficial
erosions and ochre crusting. Finally, the left cranial lung lobe
was markedly enlarged with a hemorrhagic surface. Lesions
were not observed in other organs.
Histologic features included moderate diffuse parakera-
totic hyperkeratosis with neutrophil debris and degenerate
keratinocytes with gram-positive cocci within crusts in the
superficial stratum corneum. In addition, there was moder-
ate-to-marked neutrophilic folliculitis. The epidermis had
extensive necrotic areas; intercellular edema; mild-to-mod-
erate, random, multifocal acantholysis; and psoriasiform
hyperplasia; keratinocytes often had eosinophilic cytoplas-
mic B-type inclusion bodies, and ballooning degeneration
(Fig. 1). In the dermis was a multifocal-to-coalescent lym-
phoplasmacytic infiltrate and edema, with myxoid material
in the papillary layer. In addition to focal hemorrhage, the
lungs had diffuse thickening of alveolar septa, a proliferation
of type II pneumocytes, and a mononuclear interstitial infil-
trate. Bronchi and bronchioles had moderate epithelium
hyperplasia and a submucosal lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate.
Structural abnormalities were not seen in other tissues.
DNA was extracted from the skin with phenol–chloro-
form.10 We utilized a low-GC pan-chordopoxvirus PCR assay
to amplify a 231-bp fragment, as described elsewhere.9 The
acquired amplicons were purified (Agencourt AMPure XP;
Beckman Coulter), bidirectionally sequenced (ABI Prism
3500 genetic analyzer; Life Technologies), and further con-
firmed by BLAST (https://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Blast.cgi).
We deposited the obtained sequence in GenBank (MZ709431).
The evolutionary history was inferred using the maximum-
likelihood method and Tamura 3-parameter model on
MEGA11.13 Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the BPoPV
strains, including the one detected in our study and another
reported elsewhere (MN692191), formed a well-supported
306 Silva et al.
monophyletic clade (Suppl. Fig. 1). We also found this clade
to be closely related to Cotia virus, another rodent-infecting
Brazilian poxvirus (KM595078, HQ647181), which com-
prises the putative genus Oryzopoxvirus.15
Rodents other than porcupines can act as poxvirus natu-
ral hosts. Myxoma and fibroma viruses (Poxviridae, Chor-
dopoxvirinae, Leporipoxvirus) cause localized benign
tumor-like lesions in rabbits and squirrels.16 Squirrel
fibroma virus reportedly causes squirrel fibromatosis,
which leads to alopecic dermal nodules with typical poxvi-
ral lesions in red (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), gray (Sciurus
carolinensis), and fox (S. niger) squirrels.1,16 Given the
non-lethal occurrence of poxviral infections, rabbits and
squirrels have been strongly suggested as potential reser-
voirs.4 Northern pygmy mice (Baiomys taylori) have been
reported with epidermal proliferative lesions on the tail and
paws caused by a poxvirus; this new species was tentatively
named Brazospox virus.6
BPoPV was reported in Uberlândia, MG,7 ~1,000 km
from Cuiabá, MT. Our finding raises concerns about the
impact of BPoPV infection in Coendou spp. in a variety of
distinct South American biomes. Our case and the case
reported in Uberlândia had similar clinical findings, macro-
scopic and microscopic lesions, and fatal outcomes. The
intensity and distribution of these lesions are critical; they
help explain the severity of the clinical picture and are related
to the cause of death of our case. Wildlife veterinarians
observed similar clinical signs in free-ranging porcupines,
with a case fatality rate of >75%.7 BPoPV infection in a hairy
dwarf porcupine (Coendou spinosus) from São Paulo was
treated successfully.5 The susceptibility spectrum, pathoge-
nicity, and disease progression of BPoPV infections in
rodents or other taxa remain to be resolved.
Acknowledgments
We thank Raphael Neres, Morgana Hennig, and Stephanni Pimen-
tel, staff at the Wildlife Section of HOVET-UFMT. We also thank
the staff of the Department of Mato Grosso State for the Environ-
ment.
Declaration of conflicting interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect
to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
David J.F. Silva receives a scholarship from the Ministry of Educa-
tion, Marlon Ribeiro receives a fellowship from CNPq, and Fer-
nanda H. Maruyama receives a fellowship grant awarded by CAPES
Foundation.
ORCID iD
David J. F. Silva https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1037-2097
Supplemental material
Supplemental material for this article is available online.
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