Screening for Oropouche virus in wild bird samples collected from wildlife rehabilitation centers, Florida, United States, 2021-2024.

Abstract

Oropouche virus (OROV) is an emerging orthobunyavirus whose range has recently expanded in the Americas, with recent outbreaks in Cuba and travel-associated cases reported in the United States, raising concerns about the potential for its establishment in the United States. While the primary vector,(Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), is distributed throughout the southern United States, the role of avian hosts in the dispersal and maintenance of OROV is unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted molecular screening for OROV in North American birds. We screened tissue samples from 81 individual birds representing 23 species opportunistically collected across Florida during 2021-2024. Sampling included migrants with ranges extending into regions with documented OROV transmission, partial migrants, and synanthropic resident species capable of influencing local transmission. All samples tested negative for OROV by RT-qPCR though such results do not eliminate the potential for OROV infection in these bird species. Our testing establishes a baseline for monitoring the northward expansion of this arbovirus at the human-wildlife interface in North America.