For the second consecutive year, Jeff Gruntmeir, Ph.D., earned first place in the Emerging Pathogens Institute Research Day 2025 early-stage investigator research poster competition. His research initiative has focused on investigating SARS-CoV-2 in native U.S. wildlife. The success of this project is in large part due to a team of collaborators, particularly the collaborative network of wildlife rehabilitators who have emerged as vital contributors to One Health science.
The team needed to cast a wide net for Gruntmeir’s continued research on the susceptibility of native mammals to the virus behind COVID-19.
“Essentially, reaching out to anybody and everybody you can find that’s permitted to Wildlife Rehab in each state,” said Gruntmeir, an assistant scientist at the University of Florida Emerging Pathogens Institute.
Launched in 2023 and continuing strong into 2025, this expansive study is a collaboration between the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS), the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), the EPI and a dedicated network of over 69 wildlife rehabilitators across 39 states.
“These dedicated and compassionate, hard-working wildlife rehabbers are often an overlooked partner,” said Gruntmeir. “And, yeah, [they] just need to be utilized in One Health research and are often on the front lines of emerging and re-emerging infections and pathogens.”
These facilities represent critical points of human-animal interaction, where ill or injured wild mammals are brought into close, often prolonged, contact with humans. In the context of COVID-19, this unique interface has prompted new concerns and opportunities for understanding how viruses like SARS-CoV-2 move between species.
To date, the EPI team has collected over 2,400 swab samples and 950 blood samples from 62 species of arboreal, terrestrial and aquatic, non-endangered mammals. The bulk of Gruntmeir’s contribution was obtaining necessary state permissions and networking within national and regional professional groups to identify potential facilities. The facilities that opted into the study completed enrollment surveys, biosecurity surveys, and collected nasal and rectal swabs, as well as blood samples, where possible. These were sent to TGen at their headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, for both antibody screening and viral detection via quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).
Preliminary findings are already reshaping what we know about cross-species transmission. SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA has been detected in an eastern gray squirrel, a bobcat and an opossum. Additionally, neutralizing antibodies — indicating past exposure — have been found in ten white-tailed deer fawns, another bobcat and a beaver. These results suggest active and past infections in a wider range of species than previously confirmed.
In parallel, a detailed survey of biosecurity protocols at rehabilitation facilities is helping to establish best practices for disease prevention. These insights are invaluable for protecting not only the animals in care, but also the human staff and volunteers who work with them daily. A major aspect of this ongoing study is accounting for the broad spectrum of expertise at these facilities and uncovering gaps.
“Just on a basic level, it’s about awareness, personal protection, cleaning and … quarantine, particularly for those animals that are obviously sick,” said Gruntmeir.
This initiative exemplifies the principles of One Health — a collaborative, multi-sectoral approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health. It also underscores the critical, yet often underappreciated, role of wildlife rehabilitators in disease surveillance and response. Each member of the collaboration team was essential to the success of this project, a network that Gruntmeir hopes to continue to leverage for his future research.
“Overall, my experience talking to and connecting with these wildlife rehabbers really opened my eyes to the full breadth of wildlife disease they routinely encounter,” said Gruntmeir.
As the project continues to expand, the data being gathered will shape national strategies for wildlife disease monitoring, inform risk assessments and enhance preparedness for future pandemics.
Wildlife rehabilitation facilities, essential partners in One Health collaborative networks: Sars-CoV-2 Surveillance in native U.S. mammals and assessment of biosecurity practices
Collaborators
- Jeff Gruntmeir – Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida
- Hayley Yaglom – Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen North)
- Beth Nielsen – Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen North)
- Katy Parise – Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen North)
- Steven Rekant – USDAAPHIS, Veterinary Services
- Jessica Siegal-WIllot – USDA- APHIS, Animal Care
- James Wellehan – Department of Comparative, Diagnostic, and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida
- David Engelthaler – Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen North)
- Martha Keller – USDAAPHIS, Animal Care
- Maureen Long – Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida
Introduction
Wildlife rehabilitation groups are overlooked partners in research and often find themselves on the front lines of endemic, emerging, and reemerging diseases of one health importance. Considerable human-animal interactions occur at wildlife rehabilitation facilities, where ill or injured wildlife are temporarily housed in human care. Animals infected with SARSCoV-2 can potentially infect other animals and humans in close contact. This study further investigated susceptibility of US native wild mammals to SARS-CoV-2 infection and surveyed biosecurity practices utilized by wildlife rehabilitation facilities for reducing potential transmission. This effort required a collaborative team involving USDA-APHIS, TGen, UF-Emerging Pathogens Institute (UF EPI) and a network of over 69 wildlife rehabilitators across 39 states.
Methods
The UF-EPI team acquired state permissions or permits and recruited U.S. facilities who collected respiratory swabs, rectal or fecal swabs, and blood samples from arboreal, terrestrial, or aquatic non-endangered native mammals. Samples were submitted to TGen with swabs screened by RT-qPCR (viral detection) and serum by viral neutralization assays (antibody detection). Biosecurity surveys were completed by facilities to identify and formulate best practice guidelines for disease prevention at this human-wildlife interface.
Results
Since 2023, more than 2400 swab samples and 950 blood samples from 62 species have been screened for virus and antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, respectively. While the project is ongoing, so far virus was detected by RT-PCR in an eastern gray squirrel, a bobcat, and an opossum, while neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were detected in 10 white-tailed deer fawns, a bobcat, and a beaver.
Conclusions
This study expands our understanding of species susceptibility, provides insight on biosecurity practices protecting both humans/animals, and illustrates the importance of establishing One Health collaborative networks with the wildlife community for current and future research and disease surveillance.