title: Venezuelan equine encephalitis.
abstract: Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) remains a naturally emerging disease threat as well as a highly developed biological weapon. Recently, progress has been made in understanding the complex ecological and viral genetic mechanisms that coincide in time and space to generate outbreaks. Enzootic, equine avirulent, serotype ID VEEV strains appear to alter their serotype to IAB or IC, and their vertebrate and mosquito host range, to mediate repeated VEE emergence via mutations in the E2 envelope glycoprotein that represent convergent evolution. Adaptation to equines results in highly efficient amplification, which results in human disease. Although epizootic VEEV strains are opportunistic in their use of mosquito vectors, the most widespread outbreaks appear to involve specific adaptation to Ochlerotatus taeniorhynchus, the most common vector in many coastal areas. In contrast, enzootic VEEV strains are highly specialized and appear to utilize vectors exclusively in the Spissipes section of the Culex (Melanoconion) subgenus.
authors.affiliation: Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases and Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-0609, USA. sweaver@utmb.edu
authors.forename: Scott C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferro
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barrera
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boshell
authors.forename: Juan-Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Navarro
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000821:virology; D000818:Animals; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004666:Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004685:Encephalomyelitis, Venezuelan Equine / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D018397:Equidae; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D006736:Horses; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology*; D009154:Mutation; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014765:Viral Vaccines; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; D014765:Viral Vaccines; C064956:glycoprotein E2, equine encephalitis virus