SEROLOGIC EVIDENCE OF EXPOSURE OF WILD MAMMALS TO FLAVIVIRUSESIN THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN UNITED STATES

Authors

J. Jeffrey Root, USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research CenterFollow
Jeffrey S. Hall, National Wildlife Research Center, USDA/APHIS/WS, Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, New York Wildlife Services, USDAFollow
Robert G. McLean, National Wildlife Research Center, USDA/APHIS/WS, Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, New York Wildlife Services, USDAFollow
Nicole L. Marlenee, National Wildlife Research Center, USDA/APHIS/WS, Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, New York Wildlife Services, USDA
Barry J. Beaty, National Wildlife Research Center, USDA/APHIS/WS, Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, New York Wildlife Services, USDA
Justin Gansowski, National Wildlife Research Center, USDA/APHIS/WS, Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, New York Wildlife Services, USDA
Larry Clark, USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research CenterFollow

Date of this Version

January 2005

Abstract

Serosurveys were conducted to obtain flavivirus and West Nile virus (WNV) seroprevalence data from mammals. Sera from 513 small- and medium-sized mammals collected during late summer and fall 2003 from Colorado, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania were screened for flavivirus-specific antibodies. Sera samples containing antibody to flaviviruses were screened for WNV-specific antibodies by epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and confirmed with plaque reduction neutralization tests. Prevalence of WNV antibodies among study sites ranged from 0% to 42.8% among the mammal communities sampled. High prevalence rates for WNV were noted among raccoons (100%, with a very small sample size, N 2), Virginia opossums (50.0%), fox squirrels (49.1%), and eastern gray squirrels (48.3%). The high WNV antibody prevalence noted for tree squirrels, the peri-domestic tendencies of several of these species, and their ease of observation could make these species useful sentinels for monitoring WNV activity within urban communities.