Open AccessSeroprevalence of Powassan Virus in New England Deer, 1979–2010
Author(s) -
Robert A. Nofchissey,
Eleanor R. Deardorff,
T Blevins,
Michael Anishchenko,
Angela M. BoscoLauth,
Erica Berl,
Charles Lubelczyk,
John-Paul Mutebi,
Aaron C. Brault,
Gregory D. Ebel,
Louis A. Magnarelli
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
american journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.015
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1476-1645
pISSN - 0002-9637
DOI - 10.4269/ajtmh.12-0586
Subject(s) - seroprevalence , biology , virology , virus , flavivirus , tick , tick borne encephalitis virus , veterinary medicine , serology , antibody , immunology , encephalitis , medicine
Powassan virus and its subtype, deer tick virus, are closely related tick-borne flaviviruses that circulate in North America. The incidence of human infection by these agents appears to have increased in recent years. To define exposure patterns among white-tailed deer, potentially useful sentinels that are frequently parasitized by ticks, we screened serum samples collected during 1979-2010 in Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont for neutralizing antibody by using a novel recombinant deer tick virus-West Nile virus chimeric virus. Evidence of exposure was detected in all three states. Overall our results demonstrate that seroprevalence is variable in time and space, suggesting that risk of exposure to Powassan virus is similarly variable.
Accelerating Research
Robert Robinson Avenue,
Oxford Science Park, Oxford
OX4 4GP, United Kingdom
Address
John Eccles HouseRobert Robinson Avenue,
Oxford Science Park, Oxford
OX4 4GP, United Kingdom