The West Nile virus: its recent emergence in North America.
Abstract: West Nile fever emerged in New York in the summer of 1999 when seven people, several horses and thousands of wild birds died. It was soon established that the human disease and the mortality of birds were related. Continued surveillance detected West Nile virus in mosquitoes, birds, horses, small mammals, bats and humans, and has shown its spread to several northeastern states. These events confirm the establishment of West Nile virus endemically in the United States.
Publication Date: 2001-05-19 PubMed ID: 11358716DOI: 10.1016/s1286-4579(01)01374-0Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research article discusses the emergence of the West Nile virus in North America, particularly in New York, during the summer of 1999. It details how the virus affected humans, animals, and birds, and how its spreading was monitored.
Emergence of West Nile Virus
The West Nile virus emerged in the New York area in the summer of 1999. The paper specifically mentions the following incidents:
- Seven people lost their lives to the virus.
- Many horses and thousands of wild birds also died due to the disease.
- It was determined that the human disease and the bird death incidents were connected, with both being caused by the West Nile virus.
Continued Surveillance of the West Nile Virus
Continuous monitoring and surveillance of the virus had been conducted, leading to the following discoveries:
- The West Nile virus was found in several creatures besides humans, including mosquitoes, birds, horses, small mammals, and bats. This demonstrated the wide range of organisms the virus can infect.
- While the virus first appeared in New York, it had spread to several other northeastern states of the United States.
Establishment of West Nile Virus in the United States
The spread and continued presence of the West Nile virus and its ability to infect a broad range of organisms reflected its firm establishment in the United States. The findings of this study confirmed the virus’s endemic status in the country. Endemic means the disease can regularly be found among particular people in a certain area, implying that the virus will likely continue its presence for an indefinite period.
Cite This Article
APA
Garmendia AE, Van Kruiningen HJ, French RA.
(2001).
The West Nile virus: its recent emergence in North America.
Microbes Infect, 3(3), 223-229.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s1286-4579(01)01374-0 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Pathobiology U-89, 61 North Eagleville Road, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06268, USA. Garmendi@Uconnvm.Uconn.edu
MeSH Terms
- Aged
- Animals
- Bird Diseases / epidemiology
- Bird Diseases / mortality
- Birds
- Chiroptera / virology
- Culicidae / virology
- Disease Outbreaks / statistics & numerical data
- Disease Outbreaks / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / mortality
- Horses
- Humans
- Male
- New York / epidemiology
- North America / epidemiology
- Songbirds
- West Nile Fever / epidemiology
- West Nile Fever / mortality
- West Nile Fever / veterinary
- West Nile virus
Citations
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