Arbovirus vector ecology studies in Mexico during the 1972 Venezuelan equine encephalitis outbreak.
Abstract: Virus vector studies were conducted in the States of Durango, Chihuahua, and Tamaulipas, Mexico, in June and July 1972. Apparently only a low level of Venzuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus transmission to equines occured at the time of the study, and the infection was restricted to areas which had not experienced overt activity during the preceding year. The low level of infection was associated with a scarcity of mosquitoes. The IB (epidemic) strain of VEE virus was isolated from two pools of Anopheles pseudopunctipennis (Theo.) and the blood of one symptomatic equine. The low mosquito population, the relatively few equine cases observed, and the absence of reports of VEE human disease from the outbreak area suggested VEE virus persistence through a low-level mosquito-equine transmission cycle. Other studies have already indicated that wild vertebrates play no more than a minor role in outbreaks of epidemic VEE. Mosquito collections made in areas of the states of Durango, Chihuahua, and Tamaulipas, where considerable epidemic activity of VEE had occurred in 1971, failed to reveal evidence of VEE virus persistence. Twenty-nine ioslations of other arboviruses were also made in these studies: including 22 of St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLE), 2 of Flanders virus, 1 of Turlock virus, 1 of Trivittatus virus of the California Group, 1 of western equine encephalitis virus (VEE), and 2 (from Santa Rose) which possibly represent a hitherto unknown virus in the Bunyamwera Group. These are the first reports of SLE virus isolations from mosquitoes in Mexico, and the first demonstration of Trivittatus, VEE Turlock and Flanders viruses in Mexico from any source.
Publication Date: 1975-01-01 PubMed ID: 235213DOI: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112070Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research study conducted in Mexico in 1972 explores the ecology of arbovirus vectors (insects that can carry and spread viral diseases) during an outbreak of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE). The research found that disease transmission to horses was low and limited to areas that had not seen much virus activity in the previous year. It was associated with low mosquito populations and with few cases in equines with no reports of VEE in humans. The study also indicates minimal role of wild vertebrates in VEE outbreaks and identified various other arboviruses in the study areas.
Vector Studies and Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (VEE)
- VEE virus vector studies were conducted in Durango, Chihuahua, and Tamaulipas, Mexico, in 1972.
- At the time of the study, the transmission of the virus to horses was found to be low and restricted to areas that did not see much virus activity in the prior year.
- Low infection was associated with a low mosquito population which were the prime vectors of the VEE virus.
- The study isolated the epidemic strain of the VEE virus from two pools of Anopheles pseudopunctipennis mosquitoes and the blood of one symptomatic horse.
- The above findings suggested that VEE virus might persist through a low-level mosquito-horse transmission cycle.
Role of Wild Vertebrates in VEE Outbreaks
- Based on the study and previous ones, wild vertebrates appeared to play minimal roles, if any, in VEE outbreaks.
Presence of Other Viruses
- The study area had a previous epidemic of VEE virus in 1971, but no present evidence of the virus was found in 1972.
- However, 29 isolations of other arboviruses were made during this study, which included St. Louis encephalitis virus, Flanders virus, Turlock virus, Trivittatus virus, western equine encephalitis virus, and a potentially new virus from the Bunyamwera Group.
- This was the first evidence of the St. Louis encephalitis virus from mosquitoes in Mexico, and the first report of isolating Trivittatus, Turlock, Flanders, and western equine encephalitis viruses from any sources in Mexico.
Cite This Article
APA
Sudia WD, Fernandez L, Newhouse VF, Sanz R, Calisher CH.
(1975).
Arbovirus vector ecology studies in Mexico during the 1972 Venezuelan equine encephalitis outbreak.
Am J Epidemiol, 101(1), 51-58.
https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112070 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Arboviruses / isolation & purification
- Culicidae / microbiology
- Disease Vectors / microbiology
- Ecology
- Encephalitis Virus, St. Louis / isolation & purification
- Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine / isolation & purification
- Encephalitis Virus, Western Equine / isolation & purification
- Encephalomyelitis, Equine / epidemiology
- Encephalomyelitis, Equine / transmission
- Encephalomyelitis, Equine / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / transmission
- Horses
- Insect Vectors / microbiology
- Mexico
Citations
This article has been cited 10 times.- Jobe NB, Franz NM, Johnston MA, Malone AB, Ruberto I, Townsend J, Will JB, Yule KM, Paaijmans KP. The Mosquito Fauna of Arizona: Species Composition and Public Health Implications. Insects 2024 Jun 6;15(6).
- Hernandez-Valencia JC, Muñoz-Laiton P, Gómez GF, Correa MM. A Systematic Review on the Viruses of Anopheles Mosquitoes: The Potential Importance for Public Health. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023 Sep 26;8(10).
- Golnar AJ, Langevin S, Panella NA, Solberg OD, Reisen WK, Komar N. Flanders hapavirus in western North America. Arch Virol 2018 Dec;163(12):3351-3356.
- Nanfack Minkeu F, Vernick KD. A Systematic Review of the Natural Virome of Anopheles Mosquitoes. Viruses 2018 Apr 25;10(5).
- Poh KC, Martin E, Walker ED, Kitron U, Ruiz MO, Goldberg TL, Hamer GL. Co-circulation of Flanders Virus and West Nile Virus in Culex Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from Chicago, Illinois. J Med Entomol 2018 Jun 28;55(4):1062-1066.
- Esteve-Gassent MD, Pérez de León AA, Romero-Salas D, Feria-Arroyo TP, Patino R, Castro-Arellano I, Gordillo-Pérez G, Auclair A, Goolsby J, Rodriguez-Vivas RI, Estrada-Franco JG. Pathogenic Landscape of Transboundary Zoonotic Diseases in the Mexico-US Border Along the Rio Grande. Front Public Health 2014;2:177.
- Baak-Baak CM, Arana-Guardia R, Cigarroa-Toledo N, Puc-Tinal M, Coba-Tún C, Rivero-Osorno V, Lavalle-Kantun D, Loroño-Pino MA, Machain-Williams C, Reyes-Solis GC, Beaty BJ, Eisen L, García-Rejón JE. Urban Mosquito Fauna in Mérida City, México: Immatures Collected from Containers and Storm-water Drains/Catch Basins. Southwest Entomol 2014 Jun;39(2):291-306.
- Deardorff ER, Weaver SC. Vector competence of Culex (Melanoconion) taeniopus for equine-virulent subtype IE strains of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2010 Jun;82(6):1047-52.
- Deardorff ER, Forrester NL, Travassos-da-Rosa AP, Estrada-Franco JG, Navarro-Lopez R, Tesh RB, Weaver SC. Experimental infection of potential reservoir hosts with Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, Mexico. Emerg Infect Dis 2009 Apr;15(4):519-25.
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