Dead Bird Surveillance as an Early Warning System for West Nile Virus

Eidson, Millicent; Kramer, Laura D.; Stone, Ward B.; Hagiwara, Yoichiro; Schmit, Kate

doi:10.3201/eid0704.010405

Cited by 110 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…American crows and blue jays were analyzed separately and both of their seasonal infection rates increased toward a peak during late summerÐ early fall. WNV-positive American crows appeared earlier than positive blue jays, the temporal lag perhaps being due to the earlier breeding and abundance increases States (Eidson et al 2001). In agreement, the infection prevalence of dead birds in Saginaw Co. increased during intense transmission periods (Fig.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 63%

Temporal and Spatial Patterns of West Nile Virus Transmission in Saginaw County, Michigan, 2003–2006

et al. 2011

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The dynamics of West Nile virus (family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus, WNV) infection in mosquitoes, sentinel pheasants, and wild dead birds were evaluated during 2003-2006 in Saginaw Co., MI. Mosquitoes were collected by New Jersey Light Traps at 22 sites during May-September, pooled by species and sample location, and tested for presence of WNV RNA by using a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay. Oral swabs from wild dead birds submitted by the public were tested by Vec-Test assay. Sentinel pheasants were bled weekly, and serum was tested for antibodies with an inhibition enzyme immunoassay. In total, 37,225 mosquitoes [Aedes vexans (Meigen), Culex pipiens L., and Culex restuans Theobald] were tested in 5,429 pools, of which 59 (1.1%) were positive. Ae. vexans was most abundant but had a comparatively low infection rate (0.06-2.11) compared with Cx. pipiens (1.75-4.59) and Cx. restuans (1.22-15.67). Mosquito abundances were temporally related to variations in 2-wk average weather variables. Infected dead crows appeared earlier each transmission season than blue jays, but infection prevalence for both peaked approximately mid-August. Space-time clusters were found in different locations each year. Sentinel pheasant seroprevalence was 19.3% (16/83), 12.7% (10/79), and 7.7% (5/65) during 2003-2005, respectively. We demonstrated temporal patterns of WNV activity in corvid birds and Culex spp. mosquitoes during the study period, suggesting virus transmission within an enzootic cycle. Despite the absence of human case reports nearby, this surveillance system demonstrated WNV transmission and possible human risk. Maintained surveillance using more appropriate gravid traps and CDC CO2 light traps could improve sensitivity of vector collection and virus detection.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 63%

Temporal and Spatial Patterns of West Nile Virus Transmission in Saginaw County, Michigan, 2003–2006

et al. 2011

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“…pipiens as the primary enzootic vector in this region. Culex pipiens has been established as an important enzootic vector by consistent isolations of WNV from mosquito trap collections [11,13,20], by its ornithophilic feeding behaviour [13,40,41], and associations between virus-infected mosquitoes and dead bird reports [42][43][44][45][46]. This species has also been incriminated as a bridge vector in Illinois [47].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vector host-feeding preferences drive transmission of multi-host pathogens: West Nile virus as a model system

et al. 2011

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Seasonal epizootics of vector-borne pathogens infecting multiple species are ecologically complex and difficult to forecast. Pathogen transmission potential within the host community is determined by the relative abilities of host species to maintain and transmit the pathogen and by ecological factors influencing contact rates between hosts and vectors. Increasing evidence of strong feeding preferences by a number of vectors suggests that the host community experienced by the pathogen may be very different from the local host community. We developed an empirically informed transmission model for West Nile virus (WNV) in four sites using one vector species (Culex pipiens) and preferred and non-preferred avian hosts. We measured strong feeding preferences for American robins (Turdus migratorius) by Cx. pipiens, quantified as the proportion of Cx. pipiens blood meals from robins in relation to their abundance (feeding index). The model accurately predicted WNV prevalence in Cx. pipiens at three of four sites. Sensitivity analysis revealed feeding preference was the most influential parameter on intensity and timing of peak WNV infection in Cx. pipiens and a threshold feeding index for transmission was identified. Our findings indicate host preferenceinduced contact heterogeneity is a key mediator of vector-borne pathogen epizootics in multi-species host communities, and should be incorporated into multi-host transmission models.

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“…This mosquito-born flavivirus is sustained in various avian species and is transmitted by mosquitoes among birds and from birds to mammals when the cycle amplifies (Turell et al 2001). Human infection appears to be spatially-temporally associated with unusual bird die-offs, particularly among American crows (Centers for Disease Control andPrevention 1999, 2000;Eidson et al 2001a).…”

Section: West Nile Virus: a Case Study In Surveillancementioning

confidence: 98%

Prospective spatial prediction of infectious disease: experience of New York State (USA) with West Nile Virus and proposed directions for improved surveillance

Johnson

2008

Environ Ecol Stat

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Infectious disease surveillance has become an international top priority due to the perceived risk of bioterrorism. This is driving the improvement of real-time geo-spatial surveillance systems for monitoring disease indicators, which is expected to have many benefits beyond detecting a bioterror event. West Nile Virus surveillance in New York State (USA) is highlighted as a working system that uses dead American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) to prospectively indicate viral activity prior to human onset. A cross-disciplinary review is then presented to argue that this system, and infectious disease surveillance in general, can be improved by complementing spatial cluster detection of an outcome variable with predictive "risk mapping" that incorporates spatiotemporal data on the environment, climate and human population through the flexible class of generalized linear mixed models.

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Dead Bird Surveillance as an Early Warning System for West Nile Virus

Cited by 110 publications

References 5 publications

Temporal and Spatial Patterns of West Nile Virus Transmission in Saginaw County, Michigan, 2003–2006

Temporal and Spatial Patterns of West Nile Virus Transmission in Saginaw County, Michigan, 2003–2006

Vector host-feeding preferences drive transmission of multi-host pathogens: West Nile virus as a model system

Prospective spatial prediction of infectious disease: experience of New York State (USA) with West Nile Virus and proposed directions for improved surveillance

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