Abstract

Pathogenic caliciviruses are known to spread through diverse host species across broad geographic distances. Migratory and wide ranging ocean associated species, including birds, therefore, become suspect in the spread of these agents to naive and susceptible host populations. While studying a Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) failure to thrive syndrome on Tern Island, French Frigate Shoals, Hawaii, researchers observed a hand reared white tern hatchling (Gygis alba rothschilbi) develop vesicular lesions on the webbing between its toes, six days after falling out of its nest. The bird was being fed a variety of small fish of unknown species. Vesicular fluid collected from the foot lesions contained virus-like particles with typical calicivirus morphology. Calicivirus RNA was detected within the vesicular fluid, as well as in some of the fish, by dot hybridization with a group-specific calicivirus cDNA probe. Attempts to cultivate the virus in African green monkey kidney cells and porcine kidney cells were unsuccessful. This is the first report of a calicivirus infection associated with vesicular disease in a wild avian species. Sea birds may be important in the transmission of ocean-origin calicivirus disease.