West Nile Virus and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Co-Infection in a Novel Host at the Nashville Zoo

Abelardo Moncayo Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee;

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Thomas Moore Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee;

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Nathen Bopp University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas;

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Heather Robertson Zoo and Exotic Animal Pathology Service Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, Nashville, Tennessee;

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Margarita Woc Colburn Zoo and Exotic Animal Pathology Service Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, Nashville, Tennessee;

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Diana Fernandez University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas;

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Steve Widen University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas;

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Justin Stilwell Infectious Diseases Laboratory and Department of Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

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Rita McManamon Infectious Diseases Laboratory and Department of Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

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John Dunn Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee;

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Patricia Aguilar University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas;

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ABSTRACT.

On August 30, 2017, one of five bontebok in a mixed-species exhibit at the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere exhibited acute hind-limb ataxia and altered demeanor. Pathological examination demonstrated meningoencephalitis and spinal myelitis. Coinfection of West Nile virus (WNV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) was revealed by quantitative real-time and traditional reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction assays and virus isolation/whole genome sequencing from brain tissue, respectively. Whole genome sequencing was conducted for EHDV. Mosquito testing from September 19 to October 13, 2017, demonstrated a higher WNV infection rate in mosquitoes at the zoo compared with the rest of Nashville-Davidson County. EHDV is endemic in wild white-tailed deer (family Cervidae) in Tennessee, and the prevalence in wildlife depends on environmental influences. This case illustrates the potential susceptibility of exotic zoo animals to endemic domestic arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) and reinforces the importance of cooperative antemortem and postmortem surveillance strategies among human, wildlife, and domestic animal health agencies.

Author Notes

Address correspondence to Abelardo Moncayo, Tennessee Department of Health, 630 Hart Lane, Nashville, TN 37216. E-mail: abelardo.moncayo@tn.gov

Financial support: Thomas Moore was supported by the Infectious Disease Fellowship Program administered by the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) and funded by the CDC.

Authors’ addresses: Abelardo Moncayo, Thomas Moore, and John Dunn, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, TN, E-mails: abelardo.moncayo@tn.gov, tcmoore07@gmail.com, and john.dunn@tn.gov. Nathan Bopp, Diana Fernandez, Steve Widen, and Patricia Aguilar, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, E-mails: nebopp@utmb.edu, dpfernan@utmb.edu, sgwiden@utmb.edu, and pvaguila@utmb.edu. Heather Robertson and Margarita Woc Colburn, Zoo and Exotic Animal Pathology Service Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, Nashville, TN, E-mails: hrobertson@nashvillezoo.org and mwoccolburn@nashvillezoo.org. Justin Stilwell and Rita McManamon, Infectious Diseases Laboratory and Department of Pathology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, E-mails: stilwellj@uga.edu and ritamcm@uga.edu.

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