Serologic evidence of Jamestown Canyon and Keystone virus infection in vertebrates of the DelMarVa Peninsula.

The research paper investigates the incidence of Jamestown Canyon (JC) and Keystone (KEY) viruses in various animals on the DelMarVa Peninsula, with a specific focus on the potential roles of domestic goats as hosts for the viruses.

Overview of Findings

• This study shows that a range of wild and domestic animals on the DelMarVa Peninsula are infected with either or both of the JC and KEY viruses. The presence of these viruses is determined through the identification of neutralizing (N) antibodies in the animals’ blood serum. Among the animals tested, JC virus antibodies were most commonly found in white-tailed deer, sika deer, cottontail rabbits, and horses, while KEY virus antibodies were mainly detected in gray squirrels and domestic goats.
• Other animals including raccoons, horses, and humans also showed N antibodies, signifying past infection by one or both of the viruses, while several species of small mammals and reptiles did not.

Role of Domestic Goats

• The research extends to the examination of domestic goats, proposed as potential amplifying hosts for the viruses and potential indicators of virus transmission. Goats in the Pocomoke Cypress Swamp region were found to have acquired N antibodies to JC and KEY viruses over the summer of 1978.
• After being experimentally inoculated with either virus, all goats developed N antibodies, even though a viremia (presence of viruses in the blood) was not demonstrable in most of the goats. This suggests that while goats can serve as useful sentinels for virus transmission, their low viremia levels following inoculation make it unlikely for them to be strong amplifiers for either virus.

Further Implications and Future Work

• The initial findings suggest that gray squirrels may be a main host for the KEY virus and white-tailed deer for the JC virus, but more research will be required to be certain of their roles in the viruses’ lifecycle and transmission.
• This is particularly important since it’s also possible that these viruses can continue their lifecycle entirely through transovarial transmission (transmission from mother to offspring via the eggs), without needing an animal host to amplify them.