Latest news with #Lednicky
New York Post
a day ago
- Health
- New York Post
Viral Kitty: Florida lab cat helps discover brand-new virus strain — again
This cat is going viral. A 7-year-old black shorthair named Pepper accidentally helped researchers discover a never-before-seen bug that could infect humans, the second time the cat has made a contribution to science. 3 Pepper, a 7-year-old black shorthair with a killer instinct, accidentally helped scientists discover a never-before-seen bug that could infect humans. Courtesy of John Lednicky Pepper has a habit of dropping off carcasses on the front mat of the home he shares with University of Florida virologist John Lednicky. 'He brings me these rodents … and then I bring them to the lab. That's where all the magic happens,' Lednicky said. One recent 'gift' was a chewed-up Everglades short-tailed shrew which ended up in his Gainesville lab. Lednicky and his research team discovered the shrew was harboring a mutated new strain of orthoreovirus, which is typically found in bats, deer, lions and monkeys, but known to jump between species. 'We wouldn't have found it without him,' boasted Lednicky. Last year, the kitty helped expose a novel jeilongvirus — a rare rodent-borne virus capable of infecting multiple species and the first of its kind found in the U.S. — when he brought home a dead mouse. Pepper's latest discovery — dubbed Gainesville shrew mammalian orthoreovirus type 3 strain UF-1 — was detected and extracted from the shrew by Ph.D. student Emily DeRuyter, 26, who co-authored the study. 'I wish I could put him as a co-author,' joked Lednicky of the plucky feline. In humans, infection is usually mild or symptomless, but the virus has turned up in a handful of rare pediatric cases of meningitis, encephalitis and gastroenteritis. Scientists say the spread and severity remain unclear because orthoreoviruses are so understudied. 3 Pepper has a habit of dropping off carcasses on the front mat, including a chewed-up Everglades short-tailed shrew which ended up in Lednicky's Gainesville lab. Courtesy of John Lednicky 'We don't know enough about this strain to say that it would be a risk to anyone yet,' said DeRuyter, adding it typically causes problems in people with weakened immune systems. Researchers say some strains have shown up in unexpected places, including mink feed in China and a lion in Japan, raising concerns about how the virus travels, mutates and infects. 3 Last year, Pepper went viral after helping expose a novel jeilongvirus, a rare rodent-borne virus capable of infecting multiple species, and the first of its kind found in the U.S. Courtesy of John Lednicky The UF research team said they plan to keep studying the latest strain to understand how it spreads and whether it poses a risk to humans — and with Pepper on patrol, the next big discovery might soon be on the doormat.
The Hill
15-07-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Cat in Florida helps discover rare virus for second time
(NewsNation) — To discover a rare virus that no one knew of is impressive. Doing it twice seems unbelievable. Just ask Pepper, a pet cat in Florida. Pepper, a feline owned by John Lednicky, a virologist at the University of Florida, recently discovered orthoreovirus on a dead rodent he had caught. Orthorevirus is a viral genus that's known to infect birds, mammals (including humans), white-tailed deer and bats. 'The bottom line is we need to pay attention to orthoreoviruses, and know how to rapidly detect them,' said Lednicky. 'That's because there have been reported cases of them causing serious illness in humans.' Bald eagle's new status as official US bird brings pride, hope to Native Americans Orthoreovirus effects on humans are not very specific, but there have been rare reports of the sickness being connected with cases of encephalitis, meningitis and gastroenteritis in children. Lednicky and his fellow researchers acknowledged plans to continue studying orthoreovirus to understand if it can be a threat to humans and pets. The threat, though, had no effect on Pepper, who didn't show any signs of illness and is out conducting fieldwork once again. 'This was an opportunistic study,' Lednicky added. 'If you come across a dead animal, why not test it instead of just burying it? There is a lot of information that can be gained.' Pepper first shot to fame back in 2021 after discovering a microbe inside a dead rodent known as jeilongvirus.
USA Today
08-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Texas A&M volleyball ranked No. 3 in SEC coaches' poll, earns multiple preseason honors
Following a 21-win season in 2024, the Texas A&M volleyball program earned multiple preseason Southeastern Conference honors heading into a new campaign under head coach Jamie Morrison. The Aggies enter this season ranked third in the Southeastern Conference coaches' poll, with two members of this year's roster also named to the 2025 Preseason All-SEC Team. Logan Lednicky and Ifenna Cos-Okpalla added another honor to their list of accomplishments, as both were announced to the league's list on Tuesday afternoon. This marks Lednicky's third consecutive preseason award and Cos-Okpalla's second consecutive season securing the honors, given to just 15 athletes across the SEC before the new season begins. Lednicky recorded the second-highest kills per set total (4.47) and third-highest kill total (492) in a single season in the program's history last season in an impressive junior year showing. At the same time, Cos-Okpalla led the team with 161 blocks and averaged 1.46 blocks per set, which ranked second and third. The SEC's preseason voting placed the Aggies in third with 195 points and one first-place vote among the 16 teams in the conference. Following Texas A&M's record-breaking 2024 campaign, which featured the program's highest win total since 2019, 11 players return to Morrison's squad this season. On the recruiting trail, the Aggies also brought in the No. 7 recruiting class in the country. Here are the finalized votes from the league's preseason coaches' poll: Following a NCAA Tournament run that ended with the Aggies reaching the team's first Sweet 16 since 2019, Morrison will look to lead his program back to the promised land this season. With a roster loaded with talent and experience, the program in College Station could be at the apex of the SEC in 2025. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
