title: Antibody responses of raccoons naturally exposed to influenza A virus.
abstract: An investigation was performed to describe the responses of naturally acquired antibodies to influenza A virus in raccoons (Procyon lotor) over time. Seven wild raccoons, some of which had been exposed to multiple subtypes of influenza A virus, were held in captivity for 279 days, and serum samples were collected on 10 occasions during this interval. Serum samples from 9 of 10 bleeding occasions were tested using an epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the presence of antibodies to influenza A virus. Although titer declines were noted in most animals over time, all animals maintained detectable antibodies for the duration of the study. These data indicate that naturally acquired antibodies to influenza A virus can remain detectable in raccoons for many months, with the actual duration presumably being much longer because all animals had been exposed to influenza A virus before this study commenced. This information is important to surveillance programs because the duration of naturally acquired antibodies to influenza A virus in wildlife populations is largely unknown.
authors.affiliation: National Wildlife Research Center, Wildlife Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA. jeff.root@aphis.usda.gov
authors.forename: J Jeffrey
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Root
authors.forename: Kevin T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Bentler
authors.forename: Heather J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Bradley J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Blitvich
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.forename: Alan B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Franklin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000276:immunology*; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D011821:Raccoons / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral