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/eid0704.040405

Cited by 22 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Dead bird surveillance will continue to be an important tool for the early detection of WNV in a given area and for guiding control efforts [19,20]. In North America, where crows have been determined to be the most sensitive sentinel species for detecting WNV, sections of kidney, liver, lung, spleen and small intestine should be sampled for IHC testing.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensitivity and specificity of monoclonal and polyclonal immunohistochemical staining for West Nile virus in various organs from American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

Smedley¹,

Patterson²,

Miller

et al. 2007

BMC Infect Dis

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Background: Based on results of earlier studies, brain, heart and kidney are most commonly used for West Nile virus (WNV) detection in avian species. Both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies have been used for the immunohistochemical diagnosis of WNV in these species. Thus far, no studies have been performed to compare the sensitivity and specificity of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies in detecting WNV in American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos). Our objectives were to determine 1) the comparative sensitivities of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies for immunohistochemical (IHC) diagnosis of WNV infection in free-ranging American crows, 2) which organ(s) is/are most suitable for IHC-based diagnosis of WNV, and 3) how real-time RT-PCR on RNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues compared to IHC for the diagnosis of WNV infection.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensitivity and specificity of monoclonal and polyclonal immunohistochemical staining for West Nile virus in various organs from American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

Smedley¹,

Patterson²,

Miller

et al. 2007

BMC Infect Dis

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“…High virulence has enhanced the virus’s fitness at the cost of elevated mortality in the primary avian hosts (Reisen et al 2005a), which has been associated with significant avian population declines (LaDeau et al 2007). Dead corvids have been the hallmark of the North American epidemic and have been used to track its progress and distribution (Eidson 2001, Eidson et al 2001a, Eidson et al 2001b, Julian et al 2002, Eidson 2005, Carney et al 2005). Although the Corvidae have been the most conspicuous taxon affected by WNV, experimental infections have shown that they are not the only highly susceptible species (Komar et al 2003, Reisen et al 2005a), and dead-bird-surveillance programs have reported over 300 species infected with WNV (Komar 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential Impact of West Nile Virus on California Birds

Wheeler

Barker

Fang

et al. 2009

Condor

102

106

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The strain of West Nile virus (WNV) currently epidemic in North America contains a genetic mutation elevating its virulence in birds, especially species in the family Corvidae. Although dead American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) have been the hallmark of the epidemic, the overall impact of WNV on North America's avifauna remains poorly understood and has not been addressed thoroughly in California. Here, we evaluate variation by species in the effect of WNV on California birds from 2004 to 2007 by using (1) seroprevalence in free-ranging birds, (2) percentage of carcasses of each species reported by the public that tested positive for WNV, (3) mortality determined from experimental infections, and (4) population declines detected by trend analysis of Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data. Using Bayesian linear models, we extrapolate trends in BBS data from 1980 to . We attribute significant declines from expected abundance trends in areas supporting epiornitics to WNV transmission. We combine risk assessed from each of the four data sets to generate an overall score describing WNV risk by species. The susceptibility of California avifauna to WNV varies widely, with overall risk scores ranging from low for the refractory Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) through high for the susceptible American Crow. Other species at high risk include, in descending order, the House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus), Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica), and Yellow-billed Magpie (Pica nuttalli). Our analyses emphasize the importance of multiple data sources in assessing the effect of an invading pathogen.

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“…A study by Eidson et al [19] evaluated the usefulness of dead bird surveillance in New York City in 2000 for detecting the geographic spread of the WNv and for providing an early warning system for humans. This study found that a steep increase in the number of dead crow sightings predated the onset date for the first human case and the increase in WNv positive birds by several weeks.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the spatial risk distribution of West Nile virus disease in birds and humans in southern Ontario from 2002 to 2005

Beroll

Berke

Wilson

et al. 2007

Popul Health Metrics

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Background: The West Nile virus (WNv) became a veterinary public health concern in southern Ontario in 2001 and has continued to threaten public health. Wild bird mortality has been shown to be an indicator for tracking the geographic distribution of the WNv. The purpose of this study was to investigate the latent risk distribution of WNv disease among dead birds and humans in southern Ontario and to compare the spatial risk patterns for the period [2002][2003][2004][2005]. The relationship between the mortality fraction in birds and incidence rate in humans was also investigated.

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

Cited by 22 publications

References 7 publications

Sensitivity and specificity of monoclonal and polyclonal immunohistochemical staining for West Nile virus in various organs from American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

Sensitivity and specificity of monoclonal and polyclonal immunohistochemical staining for West Nile virus in various organs from American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

Differential Impact of West Nile Virus on California Birds

Investigating the spatial risk distribution of West Nile virus disease in birds and humans in southern Ontario from 2002 to 2005

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