[Screening of birds in the Volga delta (Astrakhan region, 2001) for the West Nile virus by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction].
Infection of birds, residing in the Volga lower and middle delta, with West Nile Virus (WNV) genome was detected by the RT-PCR method. A total of 315 samples of bird organs, collected in the Astrakhan region in August 2001, were examined. Positive results, with various severity degrees, were found in coots (15.1%) and in cormorants (14.3%) in the lower delta. As for the middle delta, the infection rate among coots, herons, sea-gulls and terms was found to be identical and amounted to 8-13%, it was essentially higher in cormorants--42%. The infection rate of land-based birds did not exceed 5% in synanthropic biocenosis. According to a partial sequencing of the 5'-end region of WNV genome, all positive tests can be described as belonging to the 1st WNV genotype. The obtained results are indicative of a high activity of circulation of WNV among the birds of the water and near-water complexes in the mentioned region.
Al'khovskiĭ
S V
SV
L'vov
D N
DN
Samokhvalov
E I
EI
Prilipov
A G
AG
L'vov
D K
DK
Aristova
V A
VA
Gromashevskiĭ
V L
VL
Dzharkenov
A F
AF
Kovtunov
A I
AI
Deriabin
P G
PG
Odolevskiĭ
E I
EI
Ibragimov
R M
RM
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000821:virology*; D005838:Genotype; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012426:Russia; D014781:Viscera / Q000821:virology; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D012367:RNA, Viral