Feline Foamy Virus is Highly Prevalent in Free-Ranging <i>Puma concolor</i> from Colorado, Florida and Southern California
Sarah R. Kechejian,
Nick Dannemiller,
Simona Kraberger,
Carmen Ledesma-Feliciano,
Jennifer Malmberg,
Melody Roelke Parker,
Mark Cunningham,
Roy McBride,
Seth P. D. Riley,
Winston T. Vickers,
Ken Logan,
Mat Alldredge,
Kevin Crooks,
Martin Löchelt,
Scott Carver,
Sue VandeWoude
Affiliations
Sarah R. Kechejian
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Nick Dannemiller
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Simona Kraberger
Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
Carmen Ledesma-Feliciano
Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E 19th Ave, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
Jennifer Malmberg
Wyoming State Vet Lab, University of Wyoming, 1174 Snowy Range Road, Laramie, WY 82072, USA
Melody Roelke Parker
Frederick National Laboratory of Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick, MD 21701, USA
Mark Cunningham
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 1105 SW Williston Road, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA
Roy McBride
Rancher’s Supply Inc., Alpine, TX 79830, USA
Seth P. D. Riley
National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Thousand Oaks, CA 90265, USA
Winston T. Vickers
Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
Ken Logan
Wildlife Researcher Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 2300 S. Townsend Avenue, Montrose, CO 80203, USA
Mat Alldredge
Colorado Division of Wildlife Office, Mammals Research, 317 W. Prospect Rd, For Collins, CO 80526, USA
Kevin Crooks
Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University 115 Wagar, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Martin Löchelt
Department of Molecular Diagnostics of Oncogenic Infections, Research Program Infection, Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center, (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum Heidelberg, DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 242, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Scott Carver
School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Tasmania 7005, Australia
Sue VandeWoude
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Feline foamy virus (FFV) is a retrovirus that has been detected in multiple feline species, including domestic cats (Felis catus) and pumas (Puma concolor). FFV results in persistent infection but is generally thought to be apathogenic. Sero-prevalence in domestic cat populations has been documented in several countries, but the extent of viral infections in nondomestic felids has not been reported. In this study, we screened sera from 348 individual pumas from Colorado, Southern California and Florida for FFV exposure by assessing sero-reactivity using an FFV anti-Gag ELISA. We documented a sero-prevalence of 78.6% across all sampled subpopulations, representing 69.1% in Southern California, 77.3% in Colorado, and 83.5% in Florida. Age was a significant risk factor for FFV infection when analyzing the combined populations. This high prevalence in geographically distinct populations reveals widespread exposure of puma to FFV and suggests efficient shedding and transmission in wild populations.
