Novel herpesviruses of Suidae: indicators for a second genogroup of artiodactyl gammaherpesviruses

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Abstract
Five novel herpesviruses were identified in suid species from Africa (common warthog,Phacochoerus africanus) and South-East Asia (bearded pig,Sus barbatus; babirusa,Babyrousa babyrussa) by detection and analysis of their DNA polymerase genes. Three of the novel species,P. africanuscytomegalovirus 1,P. africanuslymphotropic herpesvirus 1 (PafrLHV-1) andS. barbatuslymphotropic herpesvirus 1 (SbarLHV-1), were closely related to known beta- (porcine cytomegalovirus) and gammaherpesviruses [porcine lymphotropic herpesvirus (PLHV) 1 and 3] of domestic pigs. In contrast, two novel species,S. barbatusrhadinovirus 1 (SbarRHV-1) andBabyrousa babyrussarhadinovirus 1 (BbabRHV-1), were more closely related to a ruminant gammaherpesvirus, bovine herpesvirus 4 (BoHV-4), than to the porcine gammaherpesviruses PLHV-1, -2, -3, PafrLHV-1 and SbarLHV-1. SbarRHV-1, BbabRHV-1 and BoHV-4 were therefore tentatively assigned to a novel genogroup of artiodactyl gammaherpesviruses. This latter genogroup may also contain an as yet undiscovered gammaherpesvirus of domestic pigs, thereby adding a concern to their use in xenotransplantation.