Biologists have concluded that Florida panthers are unlikely to be at a heightened risk of contracting chronic wasting disease from consuming infected deer.
Researchers at the University of Central Florida conducted a study which revealed that Florida panthers do not exhibit a heightened vulnerability to a transmissible disease that inflicts cognitive decline and death on their prey.
The results alleviate worries that this lethal condition, termed chronic wasting disease, poses a danger to the species.
Published this week in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, the study asserts that Florida panthers do not have an increased risk of contracting the disease. Chronic wasting disease is triggered by a misfolded protein called a prion, which can be spread through interactions between predators and prey, such as when a panther eats a deer suffering from the disease.
While working in collaboration with partner universities and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), UCF biologists examined this specific disease as a part of a broader conservation initiative after chronic wasting disease was identified in Florida white-tailed deer in 2023.
Pumas—commonly referred to as panthers in western North America—were brought to Florida from Texas in the 1990s in an effort to replenish their declining population, according to Bob Fitak, an assistant professor of biology at UCF and co-author of the study.
“About three decades ago, only 20 to 30 Florida panthers remained, leading to significant inbreeding,” Fitak explains. “To bolster this population, panthers from Texas were introduced, aiding in the restoration of their numbers. This initiative has been quite successful. We aim to understand the factors contributing to this success and what challenges we may face in the future, a process we refer to as genetic rescue or genetic restoration.”
The FWC estimates that there are currently between 120 and 230 adult panthers. While the introduction of similar species has resulted in increased genetic diversity, which brings new challenges, the study further confirms that this is predominantly beneficial, according to Fitak.
“We are not altering the Florida panthers in any way that would make them more or less prone to diseases,” he emphasizes. “This is essentially confirmation that we do not anticipate any peculiar circumstances affecting their susceptibility in Florida compared to other regions of the country.”
Chronic wasting disease has become widespread across North America among deer and elk populations, causing concerns among conservationists about the potential for it to infect predators that consume infected deer or elk. Any animal that eats a deer could be at risk, thus monitoring these populations is crucial, Fitak notes.
“We analyzed the DNA of this gene from many Florida panthers and demonstrated that they are not any more or less vulnerable than other puma populations across North America,” he states. “This is very promising. We have evidence that in other regions, pumas can safely consume infected deer without falling ill. Therefore, we believe the same will apply to Florida, with no heightened risk for Florida panthers regarding this disease.”
Fitak acknowledges the significant contributions of the FWC and Elizabeth Sharkey, the lead author and a student who participated in UCF’s 2022 Research Experience for Undergraduates program under his guidance, to this research.
“We started with 37 samples from Florida panthers and four polymorphic sites. As we included more samples from Central and South America, we discovered increased diversity,” says Sharkey, who is now pursuing graduate studies in biological anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. “I had the chance to undertake extensive lab work to analyze the prion allele. After completing my program, I continued collaborating with the team to finalize our publication.”
Her early research exposure through the REU program yielded significant outcomes.
“Our research identified a new Central American prion allele potentially introduced to the Florida panther population before the notable genetic rescue in 1995, when five Texas pumas were brought to Florida,” Sharkey explains. “When this research initiated, prion disease had not yet emerged in Florida; however, on June 30, 2023, the FWC confirmed the first case of a prion disease-positive deer in the state.”
She continued her research and collaboration with Fitak and others to analyze DNA samples, leading to the conclusion that Florida panthers are not particularly vulnerable.
“It was incredibly reassuring that our research suggested the panthers are safe and not inherently more susceptible due to introduced alleles,” Sharkey says. “Fortunately, it appears that the newly identified allele does not influence susceptibility to prion disease, and it is rare or absent in the current Florida population.”
Fitak expresses optimism regarding the study’s findings and hopes the Florida panther population remains healthy should chronic wasting disease proliferate among Florida’s deer herd.
“Florida panthers will likely fare well if this disease spreads in Florida, but we sincerely hope it does not,” he states. “The FWC is actively working to prevent the spread and monitor the situation.”
