title: Evaluation of the eastern cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus as an amplifying vertebrate host for Cache Valley virus (Bunyaviridae) in Indiana.
abstract: To evaluate the importance of eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus) as amplifying hosts for Cache Valley virus (CVV), we tested hunter-provided blood samples from northern Indiana for specific neutralizing (N) antibodies against this mosquito-borne bunya-virus. Samples were collected during the winter of 1994-95. Two seronegative eastern cottontails, captured in July 1995, were also infected with CVV by subcutaneous inoculation, and two others were infected by allowing CVV-infected mosquitoes to feed on them. The results indicate that eastern cottontails probably are not important amplifying hosts for CVV. The prevalence of N antibodies against CVV was low (6.0%, n=82) among the hunter-killed animals. Low viremia (<1.8 log10 plaque-forming units/ml) of short duration (1-3 days) were seen in three of four experimentally infected eastern cottontails. The viremias were insufficient for infecting Coquillettidia perturbans, a mosquito species commonly found naturally infected with CVV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA . Carina_Blackmore@doh.state.fl.us
authors.forename: Carina G M
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Blackmore
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Grimstad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002042:Bunyamwera virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002044:Bunyaviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009033:Culicidae / Q000821:virology; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary; D007196:Indiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology; D009500:Neutralization Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D011817:Rabbits / Q000821:virology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral