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The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene2012; 88(1); 95-102; doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.11-0358

An epizootic of eastern equine encephalitis virus, Maine, USA in 2009: outbreak description and entomological studies.

Abstract: From July to September, 2009, an outbreak of eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEv) occurred in five counties in Maine. The virus was isolated from 15 horses, 1 llama, and pheasants in three separate captive flocks. One wild turkey, screened before translocation, also showed exposure to the virus in January 2010. Two pools of Culiseta melanura (Coquillett) tested positive for EEEv during routine seasonal surveillance in York County in September, but none of the mosquitoes collected during rapid response surveys tested positive. There were more Cs. melanura in July, August, and September 2009 than in preceding (2006-08) and subsequent (2010-11) years. August and September Cs. melanura abundances were correlated with July rainfall, and abundance of all species combined was correlated with total rainfall for the meteorological summer. This outbreak represents a substantial expansion of the range of EEEv activity in northern New England.
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Publication Date: 2012-12-03 PubMed ID: 23208877PubMed Central: PMC3541751DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.11-0358Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research conducted between July to September 2009 investigates an outbreak of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEEv) in five counties in Maine. The study acknowledges the presence of the virus in various animals and insects, and seeks to understand the incidence of EEEv and how climatic conditions influenced the abundance of certain species, namely the Culiseta Melanura mosquitoes.

Outbreak Description

  • The outbreak occurred between July and September 2009 in five counties in Maine. It affected 15 horses, one llama, and pheasants from three different captive flocks. In addition, a wild turkey, which had been screened before it was moved, also had an exposure to the virus in January 2010.
  • This extensive attack signifies a significant expansion of the range of the EEEv virus in the northern parts of New England.

Entomological Studies

  • The research also collected two pools of Culiseta melanura, commonly known as Coquillett mosquitoes, from York County in September, which tested positive for the EEEv virus during tests conducted as part of routine seasonal surveillance.
  • However, none of the mosquitoes that were collected as part of the rapid response surveys tested positive for the virus. These results highlight the fact that the virus was not found in the mosquitoes in large numbers even amidst an outbreak.

Environment Influences

  • The research documented a higher population of Cs. melanura mosquitoes in July, August, and September of 2009 compared to the numbers in the preceding years (between 2006 and 2008) and the following two years (2010 and 2011).
  • The greater number of mosquitoes in August and September was identified as being linked with the amount of rainfall in July, and the total number of all species was related to the total rainfall during the meteorological summer (June, July, August). This suggests that climatic conditions, mainly the amount of rainfall, impacted the population of the mosquitoes.

Cite This Article

APA
Lubelczyk C, Mutebi JP, Robinson S, Elias SP, Smith LB, Juris SA, Foss K, Lichtenwalner A, Shively KJ, Hoenig DE, Webber L, Sears S, Smith RP. (2012). An epizootic of eastern equine encephalitis virus, Maine, USA in 2009: outbreak description and entomological studies. Am J Trop Med Hyg, 88(1), 95-102. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.2012.11-0358

Publication

The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
ISSN: 1476-1645
NlmUniqueID: 0370507
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 88
Issue: 1
Pages: 95-102

Researcher Affiliations

Lubelczyk, Charles
  • Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Vector-borne Disease Laboratory, South Portland, Maine 04106, USA. lubelc@mmc.org
Mutebi, John-Paul
    Robinson, Sara
      Elias, Susan P
        Smith, Leticia B
          Juris, Sherrie A
            Foss, Kimberly
              Lichtenwalner, Anne
                Shively, Kirk J
                  Hoenig, Donald E
                    Webber, Lori
                      Sears, Stephen
                        Smith, Robert P

                          MeSH Terms

                          • Animals
                          • Culicidae
                          • Disease Outbreaks
                          • Encephalitis Virus, Eastern Equine / isolation & purification
                          • Encephalomyelitis, Equine / epidemiology
                          • Encephalomyelitis, Equine / transmission
                          • Encephalomyelitis, Equine / virology
                          • Horses
                          • Humans
                          • Insect Vectors
                          • Maine / epidemiology

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