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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
07:23
Detection of Infectious Virus from Field-collected Mosquitoes by Vero Cell Culture Assay
Published on: June 9, 2011
Widespread West Nile virus activity, eastern United States, 2000
A A Marfin1, L R Petersen, M Eidson
1Division of Vector-Borne Infections Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, P.O. Box 2087, Fort Collins, CO 80522, USA. aam@cdc.gov
Emerging Infectious Diseases
|October 5, 2001
Summary
Widespread West Nile virus activity in birds in 2000, detected by the ArboNET surveillance system, preceded human infections. Monitoring animal cases is crucial for identifying human West Nile virus risk.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary epidemiology
- Public health surveillance
- Arbovirology
Background:
- Widespread avian deaths preceded the 1999 U.S. West Nile virus epidemic.
- Animal surveillance can serve as an early warning for human disease outbreaks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize West Nile virus (WNv) surveillance data from 2000.
- To assess the utility of animal surveillance in predicting human WNv risk.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of ArboNET, a cooperative WNv surveillance system.
- Monitoring of sentinel epizootics in animal populations.
- Analysis of WNv activity in animals and correlation with human cases.
Main Results:
- The year 2000 demonstrated widespread WNv activity across the U.S.
- ArboNET successfully documented the epizootic preceding human WNv infections.
- A clear link was established between animal WNv activity and subsequent human risk.
Conclusions:
- Monitoring WNv activity in animal populations is a valuable tool for public health.
- ArboNET surveillance effectively identified high-risk periods and geographic areas for human WNv exposure.
- Proactive surveillance in animals enhances the ability to predict and mitigate human West Nile virus epidemics.
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