Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 18:43:32 -0500
Reply-To: Bulletin Board for Bird Collections and Curators <AVECOL-L@LISTSERV.LSU.EDU>
Subject: [AVECOL-L] wnv


From: David Mindell <mindell@UMICH.EDU>@LISTSERV.LSU.EDU on 02/27/2003
06:43 PM EST

Hi All,

I've read the emails today w/ interest and thought I'd add my 2
cents on
this...

> there was so much initial trouble identifying this as
> WNV. First EEEV, then SLEV, then WN-Like Virus etc.
> What clinched the WN identification?

Eventually it was phylogenetic analyses of virus RNA sequence that
led
to the diagnosis of WNV (w/ corroboration from antigenic mapping).
From
the Lanciotti et al. 1999 Science ms describing the US outbreak:
"Antigenic mapping with E-glycoprotein-specific monoclonal
antibodies
and E-glycoprotein phylogenetic analysis confirmed these viruses
as WN.
This North American WN virus was most closely related to a WN
virus
isolated from a dead goose in Israel in 1998." Portions of the
nucleocapsid and envelope proteins genes already indicate
distinctive
geographic clades of the virus in regions of the US and this will
enable
people to follow the geographical and temporal movement of variant
WN
virus strains as they evolve/adapt in North America. Though if
recombination among WN viral lineages occurs often, giving rise to
'mosaic' genomes, as is common among other RNA viruses, patterns
of
lineage divergence will become complicated by these lineage
'merger' events.

I generally agree with the statements suggesting precautions
(gloves,
use of controlled-access and dedicated facilities) for salvaged
birds
brought in for the time being. Technically, WNV is classified as a
Bio
Safety Level 3 agent. Specifications for BSL3 containment are
available
in the CDC/NIH publication Biosafety in Microbiological and
Biomedical
Laboratories <http://bmbl.od.nih.gov/sect3bsl3.htm>.

David

........................
David P. Mindell
Curator of Birds and Interim Director Museum of Zoology
Associate Professor Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
University of Michigan