title: West Nile virus survey of birds and mosquitoes in the Dominican Republic.
abstract: We report West Nile virus (WNV) activity from a new area on Hispaniola, in the vicinity of Monte Cristi National Park in northwest Dominican Republic. Specific anti-WNV antibodies were detected in 12 of 58 (21%) resident birds sampled in March 2003, representing six species in the orders Cuculiformes (cuckoos), Strigiformes (owls), and Passeriformes (song birds). This seroprevalence is the highest reported from any site in the Caribbean Basin. Virus was not detected in any mosquitoes or tissues from bird specimens. Testing of 20 sick or dead birds was negative for WNV. Undetermined flavivirus antibodies were detected in four resident birds at Monte Cristi, as well as in five resident birds at Sierra de Baoruco National Park in southwest Dominican Republic. These data suggest that an unidentified flavivirus, as well as WNV, is active in the Dominican Republic.
authors: University of Kansas Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research Center, Lawrence, Kansas, USA. okomar@salvanatura.org
authors: Oliver
authors: O
authors: Komar
authors: Mark B
authors: MB
authors: Robbins
authors: Gavino Guzmán
authors: GG
authors: Contreras
authors: Brett W
authors: BW
authors: Benz
authors: Kaci
authors: K
authors: Klenk
authors: Bradley J
authors: BJ
authors: Blitvich
authors: Nicole L
authors: NL
authors: Marlenee
authors: Kristen L
authors: KL
authors: Burkhalter
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Beckett
authors: Guillermo
authors: G
authors: Gonzálvez
authors: Carlos J
authors: CJ
authors: Peña
authors: A Townsend
authors: AT
authors: Peterson
authors: Nicholas
authors: N
authors: Komar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D001717:Birds; D009033:Culicidae / Q000821:virology*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary; D004293:Dominican Republic; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005416:Flavivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018177:Flavivirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D020308:Songbirds / Q000821:virology*; D020305:Strigiformes / Q000821:virology*; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral