GAINESVILLE, Fla. — On Halloween, tales of black cats often spark thoughts of superstition and mystery. In Gainesville, Florida, however, one ebony-furred feline named Pepper has earned its place in scientific history by leading researchers to an unsettling discovery: the first jeilongvirus ever identified in the United States.
The virus, found in a mouse caught by the cat, demonstrates an eerie ability to infect cells from multiple species, including humans – a finding that has scientists at the University of Florida paying very close attention.
The chance discovery occurred when Pepper brought the mouse home and dropped it right at the feet of its owner, Dr. John Lednicky, a virologist at the University of Florida. Naturally, Lednicky decided to examine the cotton mouse for potential pathogens. While initially searching for traces of mule deerpox virus, the study published in Pathogens instead uncovered something far more significant: a novel virus they named Gainesville rodent jeilong virus 1 (GRJV1).