European magpies (Pica pica) from southern France were tested for antibodies to West Nile virus (WNV) and viral shedding in feces during spring-autumn 2005. Results suggest that this peridomestic species may be a suitable sentinel species and a relevant target for additional investigations on WNV ecology in Europe.

A West Nile virus (WNV) lineage 2 strain was molecularly identified and characterised in a Eurasian magpie hunted in Greece in 2010, during a WNV outbreak in humans. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the highest sequence similarity (>99%) with other WNV lineage 2 strains derived from birds of prey in Austria and Hungary (2004–2009). This first molecular detection of WNV in sedentary wild birds in ...

Since 2002, West Nile virus (WNV) has been detected every year in Houston and the surrounding Harris County, Texas. In 2014, the largest WNV outbreak to date occurred, comprising 139 cases and causing 2 deaths. Additionally, 1,286 WNV-positive mosquito pools were confirmed, the most reported in a single mosquito season.

We investigated the genetics and evolution of West Nile virus (WNV) since initial detection in the United States in 1999 on the basis of continual surveillance studies in the Houston, Texas, USA, metropolitan area (Harris County) as a surrogate model for WNV evolution on a national scale. Full-length genomic sequencing of 14 novel 2010-2012 WNV isolates collected from resident birds in Harris C...

A total of 57 cases of West Nile virus infection (54 with neuroinvasive infection and three with fever) were identified in Romania between July and October 2010.The median age of the cases was 53.4 years, with the highest incidence in the age group 60–69 years.The case fatality rate was 8.8%. Cases were distributed in 19 districts in the southern, western, central and eastern parts of the count...

Malaria remains a major killer with more than 1 million deaths each year in sub-Saharan Africa alone while yellow fever, dengue fever, West Nile virus, encephalitis and filariasis continue to have an impact on populations worldwide. The Anopheles strains of mosquitoes are largely responsible for the transmission of Plasmodium or malaria, the Culex tarsalis accounts largely for West Nile virus, ...

Letters References 1. World Health Organization. Report of the meeting of the ad hoc committee on Orthopox virus infections. To the Editor: After heavy rains in July 1997, extensive floods occurred along the Morava River, Czech Republic. Populations of Aedes mosquitoes increased rapidly in the flooded areas, prompting surveillance for mosquito-borne virus infections in the Breclav area, South M...

West Nile virus has become a medically important arbovirus in the continental United States with its debut in 1999 in the New York City area. We present neuroimaging features and pathologic findings in 2 patients who were severely affected out of the more that 100 documented cases at our institution. Both patients showed striking involvement of the substantia nigra, a finding not previously rep...

Two recent publications report that direct bird-to-bird transmission of West Nile virus is possible. The effect of a bird-to-bird transmission on the transmission dynamics of this virus is studied through mathematical modeling. The model still treats the bird-to-mosquito-to-bird as the main transmission route. The results of numerical calculations show that there are changes in the dynamics of ...

A field study was conducted to evaluate two CDC gravid trap attractants available for the West Nile virus surveillance program in New York State (NYS). According to potential attractiveness, a common lawn sod in NYS, Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) infusion and a rabbit chow infusion were compared for attractiveness to primary West Nile virus vectors, Culex mosquitoes. Attractiveness of each...