Research Project: Isolation of Camp Hill Virus; Evaluation as a Risk to US Agriculture

Location: Research Programs

Project Number: 3022-32000-018-065-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Aug 1, 2026
End Date: Jul 31, 2028

Objective:
The overall objective of this collaborative project is to isolate and characterize a novel shrew-associated henipavirus recently identified in the United States and determine whether it represents a credible risk to U.S. agriculture. This finding is significant because henipaviruses include high-consequence zoonotic pathogens such as Nipah and Hendra viruses, yet this represents the first known detection of a henipavirus in the United States. At present, available information is limited primarily to genomic sequence data, making it difficult to determine whether the virus is infectious, what hosts or tissues it can infect, whether it can replicate in agriculturally relevant species, or whether it poses a spillover threat. Specific objectives are to: Conduct targeted field collections of shrews and associated specimens from ecologically relevant U.S. sites. Collections will generate the samples and metadata needed to determine whether the virus can be repeatedly detected, whether related viruses are present, and what host, geographic, or environmental factors may be associated with viral occurrence. Attempt isolation of the novel henipavirus from shrew-derived samples under appropriate biosafety and regulatory conditions. Recovery of infectious virus is essential because genomic information alone cannot determine host range, replication competence, tissue tropism, or risk to livestock and other agriculturally relevant species. Characterize the novel henipavirus in vitro using cell systems relevant to shrews and agricultural species. These studies will assess viral replication, cell tropism, receptor-use patterns, and host barriers that may limit or permit infection of livestock or other species at wildlife-agriculture interfaces. Evaluate priority isolates or viral materials in agriculturally relevant species when justified by in vitro data and risk assessment. These studies will determine whether the virus can infect, replicate, shed, or cause clinical or subclinical outcomes relevant to animal health, agricultural productivity, and spillover risk.

Approach:
This project will use a stepwise field-to-risk framework to move beyond genomic detection and generate the biological data needed to assess the agricultural relevance of a novel U.S. henipavirus. Targeted field collections of shrews will be conducted from sites selected based on prior detection, host ecology, and potential wildlife-livestock interface risk. Specimens and associated metadata will be collected to support interpretation of viral detection, including host species, location, habitat, season, animal condition, and proximity to agricultural settings. Collected samples will be screened to identify specimens most suitable for virus recovery and characterization. Virus isolation will be performed with scientific input, confirmatory testing, and assay support prioritized based on agricultural risk. Isolation is a critical step because sequence data alone cannot determine whether the virus is infectious, whether it can replicate in mammalian cells, or whether it has properties consistent with spillover into livestock or other agricultural species. Isolates or high-priority positive materials will be genetically and phenotypically characterized. Genomic analyses will assess relatedness to known henipaviruses and identify features that may inform receptor use, host range, or pathogenic potential. In vitro studies will be performed using available shrew-derived cells and cells from agriculturally relevant species to evaluate replication kinetics, cell tropism, and host susceptibility. These data will help determine whether the virus appears restricted to its wildlife host or has broader host-range potential. In vivo studies will be conducted to advance biological characterization beyond cell culture findings. Experimental infection of shrews will assess viral persistence in the natural reservoir host, permitting evaluation of viral shedding, tissue tropism, and duration of infection. Parallel studies in other mammalian species relevant to agricultural risk will characterize infection dynamics, clinical presentation, and transmissibility. These studies will generate immunosera as critical reagents for serological testing and further characterization, enabling retrospective detection in field-collected specimens and assessment of exposure in livestock or other contact species. Together, the in vitro and in vivo findings, combined with viral identity and ecological context, will provide the first comprehensive biological characterization of this novel U.S. henipavirus and establish a science-based framework for determining whether it poses a risk to U.S. agriculture.