SEROLOGIC EVIDENCE OF ARBOVIRUS INFECTIONS IN WILD RUMINANTS1

Abstract

Trainer, D. O. and R. P. Hanson (Dept. Veterinary Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis. 53706). Serologic evidence of arbovirus infections in wild ruminants. Amer. J. Epid., 1969, 90: 354–358.—Almost 1,500 sera from wild ruminants of North America, including bighorn sheep, prong horn antelope and whilte-tailed deer, were tested for neutralizing antibodies to 7 viruses: eastern, western, St. Louis, Venezuelan and California encephalitis, vesicular stomatitis and encephalomyocarditis. Among the bighorn sheep sampled, neutralizing antibodies were detected for western encephalitis virus (12%) and California encephalitis virus (12%); among prong horn antelope 16% were positive for California encephalitis. In white-tailed deer, serologic evidence of Venezuelan encephalitis was restricted to deer from Texas, while deer from Nebraska and Texas had antibodies to western encephalitis virus, and deer from Wisconsin and Texas had antibody to St. Louis encephalitis virus. California encephalitis antibodies were detected in almost every species and geographic site examined, and the largest number of reactors occurred in deer from Wisconsin (26%) and Texas (50%). Approximately 8% of the Texas deer sera were serologically positive for vesicular stomatitis and 4% for encephalomyocarditis. Results of this study suggest that wild ruminants and white-tailed deer in particular could serve as a valuable indicator for the activity of arboviruses—a “natural” sentinel system.