Origin of the West Nile virus responsible for an outbreak of encephalitis in the northeastern United States.
In late summer 1999, an outbreak of human encephalitis occurred in the northeastern United States that was concurrent with extensive mortality in crows (Corvus species) as well as the deaths of several exotic birds at a zoological park in the same area. Complete genome sequencing of a flavivirus isolated from the brain of a dead Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis), together with partial sequence analysis of envelope glycoprotein (E-glycoprotein) genes amplified from several other species including mosquitoes and two fatal human cases, revealed that West Nile (WN) virus circulated in natural transmission cycles and was responsible for the human disease. Antigenic mapping with E-glycoprotein-specific monoclonal antibodies and E-glycoprotein phylogenetic analysis confirmed these viruses as WN. This North American WN virus was most closely related to a WN virus isolated from a dead goose in Israel in 1998.
Lanciotti
R S
RS
Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80522, USA. rsl2@cdc.gov
Roehrig
J T
JT
Deubel
V
V
Smith
J
J
Parker
M
M
Steele
K
K
Crise
B
B
Volpe
K E
KE
Crabtree
M B
MB
Scherret
J H
JH
Hall
R A
RA
MacKenzie
J S
JS
Cropp
C B
CB
Panigrahy
B
B
Ostlund
E
E
Schmitt
B
B
Malkinson
M
M
Banet
C
C
Weissman
J
J
Komar
N
N
Savage
H M
HM
Stone
W
W
McNamara
T
T
Gubler
D J
DJ
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D001717:Birds / Q000821:virology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D018349:Encephalitis Viruses, Japanese / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009511:New England / Q000453:epidemiology; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D020308:Songbirds / Q000821:virology; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology*; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins