Wild snakes harbor West Nile virus.

Autor: Dahlin CR; Department of Biology, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Johnstown, PA 15904, United States., Hughes DF; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, United States., Meshaka WE Jr; Section of Zoology and Botany, State Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120, United States., Coleman C; Department of Biology, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Johnstown, PA 15904, United States., Henning JD; Department of Biology, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Johnstown, PA 15904, United States.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: One health (Amsterdam, Netherlands) [One Health] 2016 Sep 22; Vol. 2, pp. 136-138. Date of Electronic Publication: 2016 Sep 22 (Print Publication: 2016).
DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2016.09.003
Abstrakt: West Nile virus (WNV) has a complex eco-epidemiology with birds acting as reservoirs and hosts for the virus. Less well understood is the role of reptiles, especially in wild populations. The goal of our study was to determine whether a wild population of snakes in Pennsylvania harbored WNV. Six species of snakes were orally sampled in the summer of 2013 and were tested for the presence of WNV viral RNA using RT-PCR. Two Eastern Garter Snakes, Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis tested positive for viral RNA (2/123, 1.62%). These results indicate a possible role for snakes in the complex transmission cycle of WNV.
Databáze: MEDLINE