University of Kentucky
West Nile Virus in House Sparrow
Institution
University of Kentucky
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
David Westneat
Abstract
West Nile Virus (WNV) is an emerging disease of great importance to human health and economy. It spreads via interactions between its normal host, birds, and its vector, mosquitoes, which may bite incidental hosts such as horses or humans. The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is the most common bird in our environment and may be an important host reservoir for WNV. We analyzed blood samples collected from adult and juvenile house sparrows during the summer of 2002. We extracted viral RNA and used reverse transcription to make a DNA copy. We then used PCR to amplify a known segment of the DNA. Samples producing a band of the correct size were considered positive for WNV. We found that 38 of 133 birds (28.6%) were positive for WNV. Most cases of WNV occurred in July and in juveniles. We also found that infection frequency varied by location. These results have implications for understanding the ecology of WNV in avian populations and the risks to humans and livestock of contracting the disease.
West Nile Virus in House Sparrow
West Nile Virus (WNV) is an emerging disease of great importance to human health and economy. It spreads via interactions between its normal host, birds, and its vector, mosquitoes, which may bite incidental hosts such as horses or humans. The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is the most common bird in our environment and may be an important host reservoir for WNV. We analyzed blood samples collected from adult and juvenile house sparrows during the summer of 2002. We extracted viral RNA and used reverse transcription to make a DNA copy. We then used PCR to amplify a known segment of the DNA. Samples producing a band of the correct size were considered positive for WNV. We found that 38 of 133 birds (28.6%) were positive for WNV. Most cases of WNV occurred in July and in juveniles. We also found that infection frequency varied by location. These results have implications for understanding the ecology of WNV in avian populations and the risks to humans and livestock of contracting the disease.