Adenoviral hemorrhagic disease in farmed elk (Cervus canadensis) in Alberta, Canada

Adenoviral hemorrhagic disease (AHD) caused by deeratadenovirus A (OdAdV-1) affects captive and free-ranging cervids acrossNorth America. Here we present a case of AHD in a 6-month-old female elk calffrom a farm in Alberta, Canada. Histopathology revealed multisystemicvasculitis with endothelial intranuclear inclusion bodies, pulmonaryhemorrhage, and small intestinal hemorrhage characteristic of the acutesystemic form of AHD. Immunohistochemistry was positive for OdAdV-1 confirming diagnosisand whole genome sequencing of the virus was performed for phylogeneticcomparison. This is the first reportedcase of AHD in a farmed elk in Canada and the first reported case in an elk inAlberta.