Investigations of the Vertebrate Hosts of Eastern Equine Encephalitis during an Epizootic in Michigan, 1980

A Multi-Year Study of Mosquito Feeding Patterns on Avian Hosts in a Southeastern Focus of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus

“…An alternative approach to measuring EEEV exposure is to estimate the seroprevalence or seroconversion rate of EEEV directly in birds or to assay for antibodies of the virus. In studies in Michigan 43 and New Jersey, 44 northern cardinals and gray catbirds had high EEEV antibody seroprevalences when present in the sample of surveyed birds. Barred owls and common yellowthroats, the species with the highest Cs.…”

West Nile Virus Activity in the United States, 2001

“…No disease has been associated in birds naturally infected with SLE, nor after experimental inoculation (1,83,86). In contrast, natural infection with EEE results in disease of several species of captive birds, including emus, pheasants, domestic turkeys and caged whooping cranes (36,37,45,84). During surveillance for WNV, there have been several reports of EEE in dead birds (8) (Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, www.doh.state.fl.us); however, it is not known if these are incidental findings of EEE infection or evidence of EEE disease.…”

“…EEE and WNV cause encephalitis in humans and horses although the outcomes frequently differ; SLE causes encephalitis in humans only, although horses do become infected. The three viruses infect a wide variety of avian hosts, especially passerines (10,43,84,85,87) and are transmitted from the mosquito-avian cycle to humans and horses by mosquitoes. Currently, the geographic ranges of EEE, SLE, and WNV partially overlap.…”

Birds in Human Modified Environments and Bird Damage Control: Social, Economic, and Health Implications

“…Aedes sollicitrns and A. vexans, particularly the former, are probably the primary vectors infecting humans with EEE (McLean 1975). Most human and equine infections, and epizootics in exotic game birds, have resulted from occasional movements of the virus from enzootic foci in swamps and not from exposure within a swamp (McLean et al 1985). It has not been established If the movement of EEE virus out of its foci is due primarily to infection of other mosquito species or to viremic birds.…”

“…A field study in Michigan for EEE hosts showed that 29.9 percent of 42 species of free-living birds (N=401) examined carried EEE antibodies, while no viruses or antibodies were found In 6 species of native small mammals (N=17) and sentinel rabbits (N=11) (McLean et al 1985). EEE antibodies were developed by 11.4 percent of captive birds (N=220) used as sentinels (mostly ring-necked pheasants and chickens).…”