Incrimination of shrews as a reservoir for Powassan virus

Authors

Heidi K. Goethert
Thomas N. Mather, University of Rhode IslandFollow
Richard W. Johnson
Sam R. Telford III

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

2021

Department

Plant Sciences and Entomology

Abstract

Powassan virus lineage 2 (deer tick virus) is an emergent threat to American public health, causing severe neurologic disease. Its life cycle in nature remains poorly understood. We use a host-specific retrotransposon-targeted real time PCR assay to test the hypothesis that white-footed mice, considered the main eastern U.S. reservoir of the coinfecting agent of Lyme disease, is the reservoir for deer tick virus. Of 20 virus-infected host-seeking nymphal black-legged ticks 65% fed on shrews and none on mice. The proportion of ticks feeding on shrews at a site is positively associated with prevalence of viral infection, but not the Lyme disease agent. Viral RNA is detected in the brain of one shrew. We conclude that shrews are a likely reservoir host for deer tick virus and that host bloodmeal analysis can provide direct evidence to incriminate reservoir hosts, thereby promoting our understanding of the ecology of tick-borne infections.

Publication Title, e.g., Journal

Communications Biology

Volume

4

Citation/Publisher Attribution

Goethert, H.K., Mather, T.N., Johnson, R.W. et al. Incrimination of shrews as a reservoir for Powassan virus. Commun Biol 4, 1319 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02828-1

Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02828-1

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.