| Patuxent Science Meeting 2006 Poster Abstract |
| |
West Nile Virus: patterns of susceptibility and immunity in two avian species |
| | Hahn C, Reisen WK (UC-Davis), Nemeth N (CSU-VetSci), Bowen R (CSU- |
| | BiomSci), Komar N (CDC-Ft.Collins,CO) |
| | Emerging diseases like West Nile Virus (WNV) that infect both wildlife and humans and that are |
| | actively transmitted between them require wildlife biologists to assist public health authorities. |
| | In the collaboration between wildlife scientists and epidemiologists, research on wildlife species |
| | addresses the ecological, physiological, and behavioral aspects of the disease in animals, |
| | providing insights into how wildlife species maintain and spread the disease to people. WNV |
| | emerged recently in North America and spread rapidly across the continent, with many wild bird |
| | species infected and an unknown number serving as significant reservoirs for the disease. We |
| | are working on several aspects of avian susceptibility and immunity to WNV, using different |
| | avian species with contrasting life history patterns to elucidate different aspects of the virus. We |
| | have experimentally examined susceptibility in species of widely different taxa, Eastern |
| | Screech Owls and Brown-headed Cowbirds, through infection studies in the laboratory. We |
| | documented the relative susceptibility of the screech owl and the unusual immunity of the |
| | cowbird. We have also completed the first demonstration of maternal transfer of WNV |
| | antibodies in any species by documenting in screech owls that mothers confer enhanced |
| | resistance on their young through passive transfer of maternal antibodies in the yolk. Work this |
| | season will examine the development of the avian immune system in screech owls, with the |
| | goal of determining how susceptibility and resistance to WNV at different ages is related to the |
| | persistence of the disease in wild populations. |
| | Friday, September 22, 2006 |