A Novel Ephemero- and a New CHeRI Orbivirus Isolated from a Dead Farmed White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Florida, USA

Emily DeRuyter; Pedro H O Viadanna; Kristen Wilson; Zoe White; Amira Richardson; Merrie Urban; Pacharapong Khrongsee; Thais C S Rodrigues; Thomas B Waltzek; Juan M Campos Krauer; Samantha M Wisely; Kuttichantran Subramaniam; John A Lednicky

doi:10.3390/v17050614

A Novel Ephemero- and a New CHeRI Orbivirus Isolated from a Dead Farmed White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Florida, USA

Viruses. 2025 Apr 25;17(5):614. doi: 10.3390/v17050614.

Authors

Emily DeRuyter^{1

2}, Pedro H O Viadanna³, Kristen Wilson^{2

4}, Zoe White^{2

4}, Amira Richardson⁵, Merrie Urban⁵, Pacharapong Khrongsee^{2

6

7}, Thais C S Rodrigues^{8

9}, Thomas B Waltzek³, Juan M Campos Krauer⁵, Samantha M Wisely^{2

4}, Kuttichantran Subramaniam^{2

6}, John A Lednicky^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
² Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, 2055 Mowry Rd., Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
³ Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99163, USA.
⁴ Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, College Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
⁵ Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
⁶ Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
⁷ Faculty of Veterinary Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai 90110, Songkhla, Thailand.
⁸ Operation GRACE, National Marine Mammal Foundation, San Diego, CA 92106, USA.
⁹ Associação R3 Animal, Florianópolis 88061-500, SC, Brazil.

Abstract

A novel ephemeral fever rhabdovirus and a CHeRI orbivirus of a previously unidentified genetic lineage were isolated in mosquito cell line C6/36 cells as co-infecting agents from the spleen tissue of a dead farmed white-tailed deer (WTD; Odocoileus virginianus) in Florida. We designated the ephemeral fever rhabdovirus as Hardee County ephemerovirus 1, strain CHeRI ephemerovirus 1. The genetic sequences of the CHeRI orbivirus isolated in this work differ significantly from those of three previously described CHeRI orbivirus lineages. We designated this new virus as CHeRI orbivirus 4, strain CHeRI orbivirus 4-1. Whereas it remains unknown whether one, both, or none of the viruses contributed to the pathology, gross observations revealed that the dead WTD had severely congested and hemorrhagic lungs, and that its heart, kidneys, and spleen were also congested.

Keywords: Florida deer farming; deer farming; ephemeral fever; orbiviruses; vector; white-tailed deer.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Cell Line
Deer* / virology
Florida
Genome, Viral
Orbivirus* / classification
Orbivirus* / genetics
Orbivirus* / isolation & purification
Phylogeny
Reoviridae Infections* / veterinary
Reoviridae Infections* / virology
Rhabdoviridae Infections* / veterinary
Rhabdoviridae Infections* / virology
Spleen / pathology
Spleen / virology

Associated data

GENBANK/PQ471672–PQ4716881
GENBANK/PQ480188

Grants and funding

LBR2199/University of Florida, Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, Cervidae Health Research In-itiative, funded through the Florida State Legislature