title: SEROSURVEY OF SELECTED ARBOVIRAL PATHOGENS IN FREE-RANGING, TWO-TOED SLOTHS (CHOLOEPUS HOFFMANNI) AND THREE-TOED SLOTHS (BRADYPUS VARIEGATUS) IN COSTA RICA, 2005-07.
abstract: We screened for antibodies to 16 arboviruses in four populations of free-ranging sloths in Costa Rica. Blood samples were taken from 16 Hoffman's two-toed sloths (HTSs; Choloepus hoffmanni ) and 26 brown-throated sloths (BTSs; Bradypus variegatus ) over a 3-yr period. We used serologic assays to detect antibodies against 10 arboviruses previously described in sloths (St. Louis encephalitis [SLEV], Changuinola, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, Ilheus [ILHV], Oropouche, Mayaro, Utinga, Murutucu, Punta Toro, and vesicular stomatitis [VSV] viruses) and six arboviruses not described in sloths (Rio Grande, West Nile [WNV], eastern equine encephalitis, Piry, Munguba, and La Crosse viruses). Overall, 80% of sloths had detectable antibodies to SLEV, 67% had antibodies to ILHV, 32% to Punta Toro virus, 30% to Changuinola virus, 15% to WNV, 14% to VSV, 11% to Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, and 10% to Rio Grande virus. No samples had detectable antibodies to the remaining eight viruses. We found a significant increase in prevalence of antibody to VSV in HTSs between 2005 and 2007, and for WNV antibody between 2005 and 2006. We found no significant differences in the prevalences of antibodies to the sampled viruses between the two locations. Antibody prevalences were significantly higher in HTSs than in BTSs for SLEV in 2005. Antibody-positive results for ILHV were likely due to cross-reaction with SLEV. The novel finding of antibodies to Rio Grande virus in sloths could be due to cross-reaction with another phlebovirus. These findings might have implications for land management and domestic animal health. Due to the nature of the study, we could not determine whether sloths could represent amplification hosts for these viruses, or whether they were only exposed and could be used as sentinel species. Further studies are needed to fully characterize arboviral exposure in sloths.
authors.affiliation: 1   Medlin Exotic Animal Medical Services, 14361 Metropolis Ave., Suite 102, Fort Myers, Florida 33912, USA.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Medlin
authors.affiliation: 2   Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA.
authors.forename: Eleanor R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Deardorff
authors.affiliation: 3   Saint Louis Zoo, 1 Government Dr., Saint Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Hanley
authors.affiliation: 4   Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec J2S 2M2, Canada.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vergneau-Grosset
authors.affiliation: 5   Caring Hands Animal Hospital, 5659 Stone Rd., Centerville, Virginia 20120, USA.
authors.forename: Asia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siudak-Campfield
authors.affiliation: 6   Wisconsin Veterinary Referral Center, 360 Bluemound Rd., Waukesha, Wisconsin 53188, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dallwig
authors.affiliation: 7   Department of Pathology Research, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, Texas 77555, USA.
authors.forename: Amelia Travassos
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: da Rosa
authors.affiliation: 8   Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, Texas 77555, USA.
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Tesh
authors.affiliation: 9   Kids Saving the Rainforest Rescue Center, PO Box 297, 60601 Quepos, Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Maria Pia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: 10   Institute for Human Infections and Immunity and Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd., Galveston, Texas 77555-0610, USA.
authors.forename: Scott C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.affiliation: 11   Department of Forestry and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, 1630 Linden Dr., Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.|12   Instituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vaughan
authors.affiliation: 13   Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.affiliation: 14   Department of Surgical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, 2015 Linden Dr. W, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA.
authors.forename: Kurt K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Sladky
authors.affiliation: 15   Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, California 95616, USA.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Paul-Murphy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D001103:Arboviruses / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003364:Costa Rica; D012896:Sloths / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral
keywords: Arbovirus; Bradypus variegatus; Choloepus hoffmanni; serology; sloth