title: Widespread Detection of Antibodies to Eastern Equine Encephalitis, West Nile, St. Louis Encephalitis, and Turlock Viruses in Various Species of Wild Birds from Across the United States.
abstract: Wild birds serve as amplifying hosts for many arboviruses, and are thought to be responsible for introducing these viruses into new areas during migration as well as reintroducing them to places where winter temperatures disrupt mosquito-borne transmission. To learn more about four mosquito-borne arboviruses of concern to human or animal health, we tested sera from 997 wild birds of 54 species and 17 families across 44 states of the United States collected from January 1, 2013, through September 30, 2013. Samples were tested for antibody against eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile, and Turlock viruses using plaque reduction neutralization tests with an endpoint of 80% or greater. Of the 333 (33.4%) birds that tested positive for antibody to at least one arbovirus, 29.7% were exposed to two or more arboviruses. Exposure to all four arboviruses was detected in Canada geese, double-crested cormorants, mallards, mute swans, laughing gulls, and American coots. Our results suggest that exposure to arboviruses is widespread in the United States across a diversity of wild bird species.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, Fort Collins, Colorado. kerri.pedersen@aphis.usda.gov.
authors.forename: Kerri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, Okemos, Michigan.
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.
authors.forename: Eryu
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eastwood
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas.
authors.forename: Scott C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, Honolulu, Hawaii.
authors.forename: Samuel M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, Palmer, Alaska.
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Sinnett
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: DeLiberto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000821:virology; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D001717:Birds / Q000821:virology; D009033:Culicidae / Q000821:virology; D004663:Encephalitis Virus, Eastern Equine / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004665:Encephalitis Virus, St. Louis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004674:Encephalitis, St. Louis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000662:veterinary; D020242:Encephalomyelitis, Eastern Equine / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D008297:Male; D016851:Orthobunyavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral