Variation in virulence of West Nile virus strains for house sparrows (Passer domesticus).
The observation of avian mortality associated with West Nile virus (WNV) infection has become a hallmark epidemiologic feature in the recent emergence of this pathogen in Israel and North America. To determine if phenotypic differences exist among different WNV isolates, we exposed house sparrows (Passer domesticus) to low passage, lineage 1 WNV strains from North America (NY99), Kenya (KEN), and Australia (KUN; also known as Kunjin virus). House sparrows inoculated with the NY99 and KEN strains experienced similar mortality rates and viremia profiles. The KUN strain elicited significantly lower-titered viremia when compared with the other strains and induced no mortality. This study suggests that natural mortality in house sparrows due to Old World strains of WNV may be occurring where the KEN strain occurs.
Langevin
Stanley A
SA
Center for Vector-Borne Diseases, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616, USA. salangevin@ucdavis.edu
Brault
Aaron C
AC
Panella
Nicholas A
NA
Bowen
Richard A
RA
Komar
Nicholas
N
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D046370:Sparrows / Q000821:virology*; D014774:Virulence; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral