Sponsored by the
Museum of Natural
Science, Louisiana State University
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 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