Overview

• Pepper, a free-roaming cat in Gainesville, returned with an Everglades short-tailed shrew carrying a previously unknown orthoreovirus strain designated UF-1.
• A team led by University of Florida virologist John Lednicky sequenced and published UF-1’s complete genome in Microbiology Letters.
• Orthoreoviruses, once considered harmless, have been linked to rare cases of encephalitis, meningitis and gastroenteritis in children, though their effects on humans remain poorly understood.
• These viruses can rapidly blend genomes when two strains infect the same cell, underscoring the need for vigilant and opportunistic surveillance.
• Researchers are launching follow-up studies to determine UF-1’s zoonotic potential, with initial assessments indicating a low risk to both humans and pets.