Arbovirus surveillance in South Carolina, 1996-98.

This research paper describes a surveillance study on arboviruses carried by mosquitoes across various locations in South Carolina, USA from 1996 to 1998. The study identified five varieties of arboviruses, discovering new geographical cases in this region.

Methodology and Scope of the Research

• The researchers collected mosquitoes from 52 different locations in 30 out of the 46 counties of South Carolina beginning from June 1996 and ending in October 1998.
• The study included a diverse group of mosquitoes with a total of 1,329 mosquito pools tested, comprising of 85,806 individual mosquitoes from 34 species or complexes.
• The team also conducted antigen-capture assays for EEE and SLE on 300 mosquito pools including 14,303 mosquitoes representing 16 species or complexes.

Findings and Results

• The study isolated arboviruses from 15 pools of mosquitoes. The viruses included EEE, a variant of the JC virus, a California serogroup virus, Tensaw virus (TEN), Flanders virus, and Potosi virus.
• EEE was isolated from Anopheles crucians complex and Culex erraticus pools; A variant of JC from Anopheles crucians complex; a California serogroup virus from an Aedes atlanticus/tormentor pool; TEN from Anopheles crucians complex, Culex salinarius, and Psorophora ciliata pools; Flanders virus from a Culiseta melanura pool; and Potosi virus from Aedes vexans, Coquillettidia perturbans, and Psorophora columbiae pools.
• In terms of antigen-capture assays for EEE and SLE, 21 pools were positive for EEE and 1 pool was positive for SLE.
• These arbovirus positive mosquito pools were found in 12 counties of South Carolina, all located in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, and from 4 out of 8 surveyed Carolina bays.

Significance of the Research

• The study provides new state records for the presence of the EEE, SLE, Flanders virus, TEN, and a variant of JC virus in South Carolina. This information is important to understand the geographical distribution of these arboviruses and could contribute to public health strategies to control their spread in these areas.
• The findings are also crucial for understanding the relationships between different mosquito species and the arboviruses they carry, which can aid in targeted mosquito control efforts.