Apparent disappearance of Vesicular Stomatitis New Jersey Virus from Ossabaw Island, Georgia.
Ossabaw Island, Georgia, is the only reported endemic focus of Vesicular Stomatitis New Jersey Virus (VSNJV) in the United States. Based on recent negative serologic results of white-tailed deer and feral swine and the failure to isolate VSNJV from Lutzomyia shannoni, it appears that VSNJV is no longer present at this site. This apparent disappearance does not appear to be related to a change in L. shannoni habitat, specifically to the density of tree holes in the maritime and mixed hardwood forests. We believe that the disappearance of VSNJV from Ossabaw Island is directly related to a reduction in the feral swine population and a subsequent increase in the utilization of white-tailed deer by the known vector, L. shannoni.
Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA.
Lindsay Fann
LF
Killmaster
David E
DE
Stallknecht
Elizabeth W
EW
Howerth
John K
JK
Moulton
Paul F
PF
Smith
Daniel G
DG
Mead
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000821:virology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D017931:DNA Primers; D030561:Databases, Nucleic Acid; D003670:Deer / Q000821:virology*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000821:virology*; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011576:Psychodidae / Q000821:virology*; D013552:Swine / Q000821:virology*; D014197:Trees; D054260:Vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D017931:DNA Primers