Serological evidence of murine pathogens in wild grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) in North Wales

Abstract

Wild grey squirrels in North Wales were examined for their serological response to a range of laboratory mouse pathogens. Nineteen squirrels were tested against 14 organisms and a high seroprevalence was found to several, including murine cytomegalovirus, mouse adenovirus, reovirus 3, rotavirus and Sendai virus. Four of the squirrels were seropositive for lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, a zoonotic pathogen. None of the infections has previously been reported in squirrels.

Adenovirus: an emerging factor in red squirrel Sciurus vulgaris conservation

“…unpublished) and were hence determined as adenovirus carriers. Although the numbers of animals were small in this study, the PCR figure is very similar to the 60% sero‐prevalence found by Greenwood and Sanchez () using murine adenovirus ELISA tests for antibodies in grey squirrels from the same zoo, a location where dead captive red squirrels have been found with enteric symptoms and viral particles in the intestinal tract.…”

Identification of novel and diverse rotaviruses in rodents and insectivores, and evidence of cross-species transmission into humans

“…In addition to known pathogens, rodents are also an obvious source for the discovery of novel viruses, and new rodent arenaviruses, coronaviruses, and hantaviruses have been described recently (Gonzalez et al, 2007. To date, however, relatively little attention has been directed toward the rotaviruses that might circulate in rodent populations (Everest et al, 2011, Firth et al, 2014, Greenwood & Sanchez, 2002, Linhares et al, 1986, Sachsenröder et al, 2014. However, as rodents (especially rats) often live in close proximity to humans and domestic animals, and at high densities, they may play an important role in the cross-species transmission of rotaviruses, including to human populations.…”

Novel pneumoviruses (PnVs): Evolution and inflammatory pathology

“…The original isolate (Ane4) elicited a unique cytopathic effect in A72 canine fibroblasts, showed reactivity with pooled monoclonal antibodies against human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV), and was found to be highly homologous (> 90% overall nucleotide sequence homology) to the rodent pneumovirus pathogen, pneumonia virus of mice (PVM). While relatively little is known about rodent pneumovirus infection in the wild [Kaplan et al ., 1980; Greenwood et al ., 2002; Smith et al, 1993; Becker et al ., 2007; Descoteaux et al ., 1986; Drexler et al 2012], PVM has been reported with significant frequency in research and commercial rodent colonies in both mouse and rat sentinels [Liang et al ., 2009; Zenner & Regnault 2000; Miyata et al ., 1995]. PVM strain J3666 has been developed as a model for the study of acute pneumovirus infection in vivo [Rosenberg & Domachowske, 2008; Bem et al ., 2011], as it is highly virulent for almost all inbred mouse strains [Anh et al ., 2006] and elicits clinical symptoms and pathophysiology similar to severe hRSV disease in humans [Rosenberg & Domachowske, 2012].…”