Serological Investigation of Heartland Virus (Bunyaviridae: Phlebovirus) Exposure in Wild and Domestic Animals Adjacent to Human Case Sites in Missouri 2012–2013

Angela M. Bosco-Lauth Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado; Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

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Nicholas A. Panella Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado; Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

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J. Jeffrey Root Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado; Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

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Tom Gidlewski Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado; Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

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R. Ryan Lash Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado; Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

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Jessica R. Harmon Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado; Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

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Kristen L. Burkhalter Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado; Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

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Marvin S. Godsey Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado; Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

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Harry M. Savage Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado; Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

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William L. Nicholson Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado; Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

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Nicholas Komar Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado; Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

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Aaron C. Brault Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado; Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

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Heartland virus (HRTV; Bunyaviridae: Phlebovirus) has recently emerged as a causative agent of human disease characterized by thrombocytopenia and leukopenia in the United States. The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum L.) has been implicated as a vector. To identify candidate vertebrate amplification hosts associated with enzootic maintenance of the virus, sera and ticks were sampled from 160 mammals (8 species) and 139 birds (26 species) captured near 2 human case residences in Andrew and Nodaway Counties in northwest Missouri. HRTV-specific neutralizing antibodies were identified in northern raccoons (42.6%), horses (17.4%), white-tailed deer (14.3%), dogs (7.7%), and Virginia opossums (3.8%), but not in birds. Virus isolation attempts from sera and ticks failed to detect HRTV. The high antibody prevalence coupled with local abundance of white-tailed deer and raccoons identifies these species as candidate amplification hosts.

Author Notes

* Address correspondence to Aaron C. Brault, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3156 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521. E-mail: abrault@cdc.gov

Financial support: Funding for Angela Bosco-Lauth was provided by a fellowship from the American Society of Microbiology (ASM).

Authors' addresses: Angela M. Bosco-Lauth, Nicholas A. Panella, Kristen L. Burkhalter, Marvin S. Godsey, Harry M. Savage, Nicholas Komar, and Aaron C. Brault, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Arboviral Disease Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, E-mails: mopargal@rams.colostate.edu, nap4@cdc.gov, ktb3@cdc.gov, mjg9@cdc.gov, hms1@cdc.gov, nck6@cdc.gov, and abrault@cdc.gov. J. Jeffrey Root and Tom Gidlewski, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, E-mails: Jeff.Root@aphis.usda.gov and Thomas.Gidlewski@aphis.usda.gov. R. Ryan Lash, Jessica R. Harmon, and William L. Nicholson, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Rickettsial Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, E-mails: rlash@cdc.gov, jharmon@cdc.gov, and wnicholson@cdc.gov.

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