Veterinary Services, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, 1174 Snowy Range Rd., Laramie, Wyoming 82070, USA.
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Wyoming, 1212 S. Adams St., Laramie, Wyoming 82070, USA.
J Wildl Dis. 2023 Oct 1;59(4):774-779. doi: 10.7589/JWD-D-22-00164.
The frequency of arthropod-borne viral disease in naïve hosts is subject to change based on complex interactions among vector, host, virus, and external factors (e.g., climate). Thus, continual monitoring for both disease susceptibility and host infection dynamics is needed, especially for viruses that have proven detrimental to the health of wildlife hosts of conservation concern. The Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is a gamebird of ecological and economic importance in the western United States for which population declines have led to a Near Threatened conservation status. Although these declines have mainly been attributed to habitat loss, West Nile virus (WNV) also poses a threat, with regional transmission potentially fueled by anthropogenic landscape alterations that may facilitate mosquito breeding. With limited WNV monitoring in Greater Sage-grouse after recognition of high susceptibility to mortality early after its initial detection in the western United States, the potential long-term impacts of WNV on this species are poorly understood. We used the plaque reduction neutralization test of filter paper strip-eluted sera to assess for anti-WNV antibodies, indicating prior infection, in opportunistically collected samples. From 2020 to 2022, 85 Greater Sage-grouse in Wyoming were sampled; none had anti-WNV antibodies. This result corroborates findings of previous studies documenting low seroprevalence. With the tenuous conservation status of the species, all potential population health risks should be considered in future management strategies, especially in the face of changing climate and landscapes.
在无经验宿主中，节肢动物传播病毒疾病的频率会因媒介、宿主、病毒和外部因素（例如气候）之间的复杂相互作用而发生变化。因此，需要持续监测疾病易感性和宿主感染动态，特别是对于那些已被证明对受保护野生动物宿主健康有害的病毒。大角羊（Centrocercus urophasianus）是美国西部具有生态和经济重要性的猎鸟，其种群数量下降导致其保护状况接近受威胁。尽管这些下降主要归因于栖息地丧失，但西尼罗河病毒（WNV）也构成了威胁，区域传播可能受到人为景观改变的推动，这些改变可能有利于蚊子繁殖。由于在美国西部首次发现 WNV 后，对大角羊的 WNV 监测有限，WNV 对该物种的潜在长期影响知之甚少。我们使用滤纸条洗脱血清的蚀斑减少中和试验来评估偶然采集样本中的抗 WNV 抗体，表明先前感染过。2020 年至 2022 年，在怀俄明州对 85 只大角羊进行了采样；没有抗 WNV 抗体。这一结果证实了之前研究记录的低血清阳性率的发现。考虑到物种脆弱的保护状况，未来的管理策略应考虑所有潜在的种群健康风险，特别是在面对不断变化的气候和景观时。
