title: Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, southern Mexico.
abstract: Equine epizootics of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) occurred in the southern Mexican states of Chiapas in 1993 and Oaxaca in 1996. To assess the impact of continuing circulation of VEE virus (VEEV) on human and animal populations, serologic and viral isolation studies were conducted in 2000 to 2001 in Chiapas State. Human serosurveys and risk analyses indicated that long-term endemic transmission of VEEV occurred among villages with seroprevalence levels of 18% to 75% and that medical personnel had a high risk for VEEV exposure. Seroprevalence in wild animals suggested cotton rats as possible reservoir hosts in the region. Virus isolations from sentinel animals and genetic characterizations of these strains indicated continuing circulation of a subtype IE genotype, which was isolated from equines during the recent VEE outbreaks. These data indicate long-term enzootic and endemic VEEV circulation in the region and continued risk for disease in equines and humans.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-0609, USA.
authors.forename: José G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Estrada-Franco
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Navarro-Lopez
authors.forename: Jerome E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Freier
authors.forename: Dionicio
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cordova
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clements
authors.forename: Abelardo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moncayo
authors.forename: Wenli
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gomez-Hernandez
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Dominguez
authors.forename: George V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.forename: Scott C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Weaver
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000821:virology; D004666:Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004685:Encephalomyelitis, Venezuelan Equine / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000662:veterinary; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012307:Risk Factors; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral