title: Use of sentinel herds to study the epidemiology of vesicular stomatitis in the state of colorado.
abstract: Approximately 20 sentinel premises in Colorado were visited quarterly during a 3-year prospective study to investigate the persistence of VS viruses in horses. A survey to assess management practices, health events, animal movements and environmental data was completed at each visit. Collection of serum samples and oral swabs along with a clinical examination of sentinel horses were performed at each visit. Serum samples were tested by 2 or more of 4 available serological tests. The data collected for two years (August 1998 to August 2000) are reported here. During this period there was seroconversion in 1 and 8 horses based on capture IgM tests for seroytpes New Jersey and Indiana, respectively. Kaplan-Meier curves were generated for those premises with horses that seroconverted and the mean survival time was 4.17 quarters (range 1.85-7.0). The occurrence of seroconversions during periods when no clinical disease was observed suggests the persistence of vesicular stomatitis viruses in the environment of the sentinel premises.
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health, Ft. Collins, Colorado 80526, USA. brian.j.mccluskey@aphis.usda.gov
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: McCluskey
authors.forename: Elizabeth L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Mumford
authors.forename: Mowfak D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Salman
authors.forename: Josie J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Traub-Dargatz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003120:Colorado / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D006736:Horses; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009500:Neutralization Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D018353:Rhabdoviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014721:Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018116:Vesiculovirus
chemical_list: D007075:Immunoglobulin M