Field and laboratory studies of venezuelan equine encephalitis virus ecology in Chiapas, Mexico.

The emergence of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus in Chiapas Mexico was examined from a field approach and from a laboratory approach. This virus was not previously associated with equine disease in Mexico. The evolution of the equine virulent phenotype was thought to have resulted in a mosquito vector switch from Culex (Melanoconion) taeniopus to Aedes (Ochlerotatus) taeniorhynchus as a result of land-use changes. Wild rodents and mosquitoes were captured over the course of one year and little evidence of virus circulation was found. Wild rodents from five species were then imported into the lab for experimental evaluation as virus amplifying hosts. It was found that a VEEV strain from the study area may use a variety of rodents as amplifying hosts in the laboratory. Lastly a breeding colony of Culex (Mel.) taeniopus mosquitoes was established and experimentally evaluated for the ability of these mosquitoes to transmit equine virulent VEEV. It was found that equine virulent virus infects and is transmitted by this mosquito with high efficiency and is likely maintained in transmission foci by Culex (Mel) taeniopus during inter-epizootic periods.

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Grantor

The University of Texas Medical Branch

Year dc:date.issued

2009

Author dc:creator

• Eleanor Rose Deardorff

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Scott Weaver

• Virology
• VEEV
• rodent
• mosquito
• Mexico
• Ecology
• arbovirus

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright © is held by the author. Presentation of this material on the TDL web site by The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston was made possible under a limited license grant from the author who has retained all copyrights in the works.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Dc Identifier Other

etd-03132009-101619

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:utmb-ir.tdl.org:2152.3/44