Enhanced Arboviral Surveillance to Increase Detection of Jamestown Canyon Virus Infections, Wisconsin, 2011–2016

Abstract

Abstract.Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV), a mosquito-borne Orthobunyavirus (within the California serogroup), can cause severe neuroinvasive disease. According to national data during 2000–2013, 42% of the 31 documented JCV disease cases in the United States were detected in residents from Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Division of Public Health enhanced JCV surveillance by implementing routine use of JCV-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody testing followed by confirmatory JCV-specific plaque reduction neutralization testing on all patients with suspected cases of arboviral infection who had tests positive for arboviral immunoglobin at commercial laboratories. During 2011–2016, of the 287 Wisconsin specimens tested on the Arbovirus IgM Antibody Panel, 30 JCV cases were identified (26 confirmed and four probable). Twenty-seven (90%) JCV cases were detected after 2013. Among all cases, 17 (56%) were male and the median age was 54 years (range: 10–84 years). Fifteen patients had neuroinvasive disease, including meningitis (n = 9) and meningoencephalitis (n = 6). Although historically considered rare, the relatively high rate (0.12 cases/100,000 population) of diagnosis of JCV infections among Wisconsin residents during 2013–2016 compared with that in previous years suggests occurrence is widespread throughout Wisconsin and historically may have been under-recognized. This study aims to raise awareness of JCV infection for differential diagnosis among the arboviral diseases. Improved and timely diagnosis of arboviral disease is important in that it will provide more information regarding emerging infections and promote preventive measures to avoid mosquito-borne exposure and infection among residents of and visitors to affected areas.

Jamestown Canyon virus in Massachusetts: clinical case series and vector screening

“…We describe nine cases of neuroinvasive JCV infection in Massachusetts between 2013 and 2017. The patients in our series were similar to previously described patients, most from a U.S.-wide series of 31 cases from 2000 to 2013 and a description of 15 patients with neuroinvasive disease in Wisconsin from 2011 to 2016 [1,[4][5][6][7][8]33]. Patients usually presented between June and August and were generally healthy, but some had mild immune suppression such as diabetes mellitus or prednisone use.…”

Patterns of mosquito and arbovirus community composition and ecological indexes of arboviral risk in the northeast United States

“…A similar mechanism of seasonal persistence in overwintering/amplification vectors has been proposed for Ross River virus in Australia [15]. The recent rise in the diagnosis of clinical manifestations of human disease with JCV in the upper Midwest and northeast U.S. over the last decade [1,44] clearly indicate that more research is needed to confirm the functional importance of overwintering and amplifying vectors in the JCV transmission cycle. We additionally encourage greater scrutiny of similar overwintering/amplification predictions for WNV and other avian arboviruses [45].…”

Encephalitis with coinfection by Jamestown canyon virus (JCV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV)

“…In contrast to VZV, JCV is an orthobunyavirus of the California serogroup, a group that includes the more common LACV and causes 70–100 cases of encephalitis per year. First isolated in 1961 from Culiseta mosquitoes in Jamestown, Colorado, the incidence of this virus has been historically low, likely due to the lack of commercially available tests and rarity of severe disease: increased surveillance in an endemic region yielded a 4.5-fold increases in cases [ 12 ]. JCV has been isolated in at least 26 species of mosquitoes with various ecological breeding patterns, raising the concern for a diverse, broad transmission pattern [ 12 ].…”

“…First isolated in 1961 from Culiseta mosquitoes in Jamestown, Colorado, the incidence of this virus has been historically low, likely due to the lack of commercially available tests and rarity of severe disease: increased surveillance in an endemic region yielded a 4.5-fold increases in cases [ 12 ]. JCV has been isolated in at least 26 species of mosquitoes with various ecological breeding patterns, raising the concern for a diverse, broad transmission pattern [ 12 ]. White-tailed deer are thought to serve as an amplifier host, but large mammals like sheep, cattle, and horses are also susceptible to infection [ 13 ].…”