title: Alligators as West Nile virus amplifiers.
abstract: Recent evidence suggests that American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) may be capable of transmitting West Nile virus (WNV) to other alligators. We experimentally exposed 24 juvenile alligators to WNV parenterally or orally. All became infected, and all but three sustained viremia titers >5.0 log10 PFU/mL (a threshold considered infectious for Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes) for 1 to 8 days. Noninoculated tankmates also became infected. The viremia profiles and multiple routes of infection suggest alligators may play an important role in WNV transmission in areas with high population densities of juvenile alligators.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. kaci.klenk@aphis.usda.gov
authors.forename: Kaci
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klenk
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Snow
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bowen
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.forename: Falicia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gordy
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beckett
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Komar
authors.forename: Duane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gubler
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bunning
mesh_terms: D000489:Alligators and Crocodiles / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004777:Environment; D013696:Temperature; D019562:Viral Load / Q000662:veterinary; D014766:Viremia / Q000662:veterinary; D014779:Virus Replication; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral