Serologic survey of selected arthropod-borne pathogens in free-ranging snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) captured in Northern Michigan, USA

Journal of Wildlife Diseases
By: , and 

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Abstract

Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan, USA, occupy the southern periphery of the species' range and are vulnerable to climate change. In the eastern UP, hares are isolated by the Great Lakes, potentially exacerbating exposure to climate-change-induced habitat alterations. Climate change is also measurably affecting distribution and prevalence of vector-borne pathogens in North America, and increases in disease occurrence and prevalence can be one signal of climate-stressed wildlife populations. We conducted a serosurvey for vector-borne pathogens in snowshoe hares that were captured in the Hiawatha National Forest in the eastern UP of Michigan, USA, 2016-2017. The most commonly detected antibody response was to the mosquito-borne California serogroup snowshoe hare virus (SSHV). Overall, 24 (51%) hares screened positive for SSHV antibodies and of these, 23 (96%) were confirmed positive by plaque reduction neutralization test. We found a positive association between seroprevalence of SSHV and live weight of snowshoe hares. Additionally, we detected a significant effect of ecological land type group on seroprevalence of SSHV, with strong positive support for a group representing areas that tend to support high numbers of hares (i.e., acidic mineral containing soils with cedar, mixed swamp conifers, tamarack and balsam fir as common overstory vegetation). We also detected and confirmed antibodies for Jamestown Canyon virus and Silverwater virus in a single hare each. We did not detect antibodies to other zoonotic vector-borne pathogens, including Lacrosse encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, Borrelia burgdorferi, Powassan virus, and Francisella tularensis. These results provide a baseline for future serological studies of vector-transmitted diseases that may increase climate vulnerability of snowshoe hares in the UP of Michigan, as well as pose a climate-related zoonotic risk.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Serologic survey of selected arthropod-borne pathogens in free-ranging snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) captured in Northern Michigan, USA
Series title Journal of Wildlife Diseases
DOI 10.7589/JWD-D-23-00009
Volume 60
Issue 2
Year Published 2024
Language English
Publisher Wildlife Disease Association
Contributing office(s) National Wildlife Health Center
Description 13 p.
First page 375
Last page 387
Country United States
State Michigan
Other Geospatial Hiawatha National Forest, Upper Peninsula
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