Mosquito surveillance and polymerase chain reaction detection of West Nile virus, New York State

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 7; no. 4; pp. 643 - 649
• Main Authors: White, D J, Kramer, L D, Backenson, P B, Lukacik, G, Johnson, G, Oliver, J A, Howard, J J, Means, R G, Eidson, M, Gotham, I, Kulasekera, V, Campbell, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.07.2001; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Animals; Culicidae - classification; Culicidae - virology; Disease Outbreaks; Distribution; DNA, Viral - analysis; Humans; Identification and classification; insect vectors; Insect Vectors - classification; Insect Vectors - virology; mosquito; New York - epidemiology; New York City - epidemiology; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; public health; surveillance; United States; Viruses; West Nile fever; West Nile Fever - epidemiology; West Nile Fever - virology; West Nile virus; West Nile virus - genetics; West Nile virus - immunology; West Nile virus - isolation & purification; New York City; New York
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid0704.017407

West Nile (WN) virus was detected in the metropolitan New York City (NYC) area during the summer and fall of 1999. Sixty-two human cases, 7 fatal, were documented. The New York State Department of Health initiated a departmental effort to implement a statewide mosquito and virus surveillance system. During the 2000 arbovirus surveillance season, we collected 317,676 mosquitoes, submitted 9,952 pools for virus testing, and detected 363 WN virus-positive pools by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Eight species of mosquitoes were found infected. Our mosquito surveillance system complemented other surveillance systems in the state to identify relative risk for human exposure to WN virus. PCR WN virus-positive mosquitoes were detected in NYC and six counties in the lower Hudson River Valley and metropolitan NYC area. Collective surveillance activities suggest that WN virus can disperse throughout the state and may impact local health jurisdictions in the state in future years.