Serologic Evidence for West Nile Virus Transmission in Puerto Rico and Cuba

Abstract

During the spring of 2004, approximately 1,950 blood specimens were collected from resident and Nearctic-Neotropical migratory birds on the Caribbean islands of Puerto Rico and Cuba prior to northerly spring migrations. Eleven birds and seven birds, collected in Puerto Rico and Cuba, respectively, showed evidence of antibody in a flavivirus enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Confirmatory plaque-reduction neutralization test results indicated neutralizing antibodies to West Nile virus in non-migratory resident birds from Puerto Rico and Cuba, which indicated local transmission.

Ecology of West Nile Virus Transmission and Its Impact on Birds in the Western Hemisphere

“…Distribution.-By 2004, just fi ve years a er its introduction, WNV had spread throughout much of the United States, including 47 of the 48 lower states, into 9 provinces in Canada, throughout Mexico, onto several islands in the Caribbean, and into several countries in Central and South America (Dupuis et al 2003(Dupuis et al , 2005Estrada-Franco et al 2003;Cruz et al 2005;Matt ar et al 2005;Farfan-Ale et al 2006;Komar and Clark 2006;Morales et al 2006;Bosch et al 2007) (Fig. 1).…”

West Nile Virus Vector Competency of Culex quinquefasciatus Mosquitoes in the Galápagos Islands

“…This virus was successfully introduced to the Americas (New York City) in 1999, and although it subsequently spread west and south with unprecedented intensity, and infected wildlife on several Caribbean islands, 2,3 its distribution across South America is largely unknown. There are relatively few reports of WNV activity in South America, with several hypotheses as to why, including cross-protection of circulating viruses, lack of surveillance, and dilution effect from increased biodiversity.…”

West Nile Virus Ecology in a Tropical Ecosystem in Guatemala

“…4,5 By 2007, serologic evidence for WNV circulation in free-ranging birds and/or horses was reported in numerous tropical locations around the rim of the Caribbean Basin, including Mexico, [6][7][8] Guatemala, 9,10 Costa Rica, 11 Colombia, 12 Venezuela, 13 Guadaloupe, 14 Puerto Rico, 15 Dominican Republic, 16,17 Haiti, 18 Jamaica, 19 and Cuba. 15 Ecological parameters of WNV transmission have yet to be clearly defined in tropical ecosystems typical of the Caribbean Basin countries. 1 Serosurveys of free-ranging birds in several countries have identified infections in numerous species of birds but with the exception of a recent report in Puerto Rico, 4 none of these studies were focused in time and place coincident with active transmission.…”