The 2002 introduction of West Nile virus into Harris County, Texas, an area historically endemic for St. Louis encephalitis.
Harris County, Texas, is an endemic area of St. Louis encephalitis (SLE); and an active surveillance program that monitors SLE virus activity in mosquitoes, birds, and humans has been in place there for the past 28 years. In June of 2002, West Nile (WN) virus appeared in Houston and quickly spread throughout the region. This report describes the results of 12 years of SLE surveillance in Harris County and the contrasting pattern of WN virus activity, when it arrived in 2002. Our data indicate that both SLE and WN viruses can coexist, despite their ecologic, antigenic, and genetic similarities, and that both viruses will probably persist in this geographic region.
Lillibridge
Kristy M
KM
Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Parsons
Ray
R
Randle
Yvonne
Y
Travassos da Rosa
Amelia P A
AP
Guzman
Hilda
H
Siirin
Marina
M
Wuithiranyagool
Taweesak
T
Hailey
Christina
C
Higgs
Stephen
S
Bala
Adil A
AA
Pascua
Rhia
R
Meyer
Tamra
T
Vanlandingham
Dana L
DL
Tesh
Robert B
RB
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000821:virology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D001717:Birds / Q000821:virology; D003465:Culex / Q000821:virology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D004285:Dogs; D004665:Encephalitis Virus, St. Louis / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004674:Encephalitis, St. Louis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000914:Antibodies, Viral