Cat sniffers out a new virus mystery.

A Curious Cat and a New Shrew Virus

Gizmo the cat, photographed by Tim Sandle, has once again proven to be a valuable wildlife researcher. Pepper, another feline, helped scientists uncover a previously unknown orthoreovirus that lives inside a shy, little mammal called a shrew (Blarina peninsulae) in Gainesville, Florida.

Discovery Details

• The virus has been named “Gainesville shrew mammalian orthoreovirus type 3 strain UF‑1.”
• Researchers from the University of Florida, including virologist John Lednicky, identified the strain while running unrelated tests and later published its full genome.
• Orthoreoviruses were once thought to be harmless, but recent data link them to serious diseases affecting humans and animals.

Implications for Wildlife Surveillance

Previous findings point to a pattern of viral emergence in wildlife, underscoring the need for continuous monitoring. Pepper’s keen senses serve as an unlikely but effective viral scout.

Research Process

Lednicky and Pepper’s owner took a dead Everglades short‑tailed shrew into the lab. Testing revealed the shrew carried an unidentifiable orthoreovirus strain.

About Orthoreoviruses

• Orthoreovirus is a member of the Reoviridae family, subfamily Spinareovirinae.
• Ten species in this genus are known.
• These viruses can cause mild upper respiratory disease, gastroenteritis, and biliary atresia in mammals.
• Infections have been documented in humans, white‑tailed deer, bats, and other mammals.

Genetic Similarities

The new strain’s genes match an orthoreovirus found in farmed mink in China and in an ill lion in Japan. Experts speculate that shared feed components from the same manufacturer could explain the virus’s global spread.

Expert Quotes

Lednicky stresses: “We need to pay attention to orthoreoviruses and know how to rapidly detect them.”

He adds: “We keep finding new viruses because we look closely, and that’s why these discoveries happen.”

What’s Next?

Despite the excitement, many mammalian orthoreoviruses remain poorly understood. Scientists call for more research to fully grasp the risks posed by the newly identified virus.

Publication

The finding appears in the journal Microbiology Resource Announcements under the title: “Coding complete sequences of the 10 genomic segments of a mammalian orthoreovirus type 3 isolated from a Blarina peninsulae shrew.”