Diverse Beta- and Gammaherpesviruses in Neotropical Rodents from Costa Rica.

Abstract

Neotropical wild rodents from Costa Rica were analyzed for the presence of herpesviruses (order, family). Using a broadly generic PCR, herpesvirus sequences were detected in 5% (8/160) of liver and heart samples: seven putative gammaherpesviruses in samples from Talamancan oryzomys (), sprightly colilargo (), Mexican deer mouse (), and Chiriqui harvest mouse () and one putative betaherpesvirus in long-tailed singing mouse (). Results from this study could guide ecological investigations targeting the prevalence and host associations of herpesviruses in wild rodents from Costa Rica.