Candidate vectors and rodent hosts of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, Chiapas, 2006-2007

Eleanor R. Deardorff, Jose G. Estrada-Franco, Jerome E. Freier, Roberto Navarro-Lopez, Amelia Travassos Da Rosa, Robert B. Tesh, Scott C. Weaver

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Enzootic Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) has been known to occur in Mexico since the 1960s. The first natural equine epizootic was recognized in Chiapas in 1993 and since then, numerous studies have characterized the etiologic strains, including reverse genetic studies that incriminated a specific mutation that enhanced infection of epizootic mosquito vectors. The aim of this study was to determine the mosquito and rodent species involved in enzootic maintenance of subtype IE VEEV in coastal Chiapas. A longitudinal study was conducted over a year to discern which species and habitats could be associated with VEEV circulation. Antibody was rarely detected in mammals and virus was not isolated from mosquitoes. Additionally, Culex (Melanoconion) taeniopus populations were found to be spatially related to high levels of human and bovine seroprevalence. These mosquito populations were concentrated in areas that appear to represent foci of stable, enzootic VEEV circulation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1146-1153
Number of pages8
JournalAmerican Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume85
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2011

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Parasitology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Virology

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