Genetic and Biological Characteristics of Gruid Herpesvirus 1 Isolated From Wild Cranes Affected by Inclusion Body Disease of Cranes

Inclusion body disease of cranes (IBDCs) is fatal in many cases and reportedly caused by a herpes-like virus labeled as gruid herpesvirus 1 (GrHV-1). Although GrHV-1 has been isolated from IBDC-affected cranes, it has not been genetically classified because its genome has not been partially or fully sequenced. In this study, we isolated an alphaherpesvirus from hooded cranes (<i>Grus monacha</i>) diagnosed with IBDC in Japan. Next-generation sequencing revealed that this virus isolate was GrHV-1, based on the 99.98% sequence homology with a previously isolated GrHV-1 strain. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis of eight conserved herpesvirus genes supported the taxonomic assignment of GrHV-1 to the genus <i>Mardivirus</i> of the Alphaherpesvirinae subfamily. Based on these results, GrHV-1 can be more accurately classified and diagnostic tools to investigate suspected cases of IBDC can be developed. Furthermore, GrHV-1 showed effective replication in primary cultured cells derived from duck and chicken embryos and embryo tissues, highlighting the importance of further studies to evaluate its interspecies transmission.