Abstract / Summary
Bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) are Culicoides-transmitted orbiviruses, while chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an enzootic prion disease affecting North American cervids, primarily transmitted through contact with prions shed in bodily secretions and excretions. Recent work has shown the potential of retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RPLNs) for virus surveillance in addition to CWD and concurrent surveillance of these distinct diseases is limited. During the 2025 Nebraska hunting season, 780 RPLN samples were tested for CWD, BTV, and EHDV. Overall, 25.0% (195/780) were positive for CWD, followed by 17.9% (140/780) for BTV and 11.9% (93/780) for EHDV. Multivariable logistic regression identified higher odds of CWD detection in males than females [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.82; 95% CI: 1.12–2.96; p = 0.017] and lower odds in fawns than adults (aOR = 0.36; 95% CI: 0.21–0.62; p < 0.001). For BTV, fawns (aOR = 1.64; p = 0.042) and yearlings (aOR = 1.63; p = 0.032) had greater odds of detection than adults, whereas mule deer had lower odds than white-tailed deer (aOR = 0.34; p < 0.001). Mule deer also had lower odds of EHDV detection (aOR = 0.43; p = 0.013). Co-detection of two or more pathogens was identified in 9.9% (77/780) of animals, most commonly BTV and EHDV (4.2%; 33/780), whereas 1.4% (11/780) were positive for all three pathogens. Spatially, pathogen detection and co-detection rates varied across counties, with hotspots identified in southern Nebraska, particularly in Adams and Harlan counties. These findings demonstrate concurrent circulation and spatial clustering of prion and vector-borne viral pathogens, highlighting the need for integrated surveillance to better understand disease transmission dynamics in cervid populations.