Antibodies to the California group of arboviruses in animal populations of New Brunswick.

Wild and domestic animals of New Brunswick were tested serologically for antibodies to the California group (CAL) of arboviruses. Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) blood collected during 1976 showed 6 of 129 (4.7%) sera with neutralizing antibodies to the snowshoe hare strain (SSH) of CAL. Neutralization tests on moose (Alces alces americana Clinton) sera collected during 1979 indicated 94 of 127 (74%) with antibodies to SSH, 4 of 127 (3.2%) with antibodies to the Jamestown Canyon Strain (JC) of CAL, and 17 of 127 (13.4%) with equal antibody titers to SSH and JC. Hemagglutination inhibition tests on house blood collected during 1977 showed 54 of 204 (26.5%) with antibodies to SSH; of these, 36 also had neutralizing antibodies to SSH. This study is the first indication of CAL activity in New Brunswick and supports evidence of JC activity in northeastern North America.