Publications by authors named "Kristy Gottfried"

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate long-term outcomes after West Nile virus infection.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of persons reported with West Nile virus in Tennessee in 2002 and interviewed cases 1 year after acute illness.

Results: In 2002, 56 cases of West Nile virus were reported in Tennessee; 48 (84%) had meningitis or encephalitis.

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We investigated mosquito and bird involvement in West Nile virus (WNV) transmission in July 2001 in Jefferson County, FL, and Lowndes County, GA. We detected 16 WNV-infected pools from Culex quinquefasciatus, Cx. salinarius, Cx.

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VecTest assays for detecting eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEE) and western equine encephalitis virus (WEE) antigen in mosquito pools were evaluated to determine their sensitivity and specificity by using a range of EEE, WEE, St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLE), and West Nile virus (WN) dilutions as well as individual and pooled mosquitoes containing EEE or WEE. The EEE test produced reliable positive results with samples containing > or = 5.

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WNV is a mosquito-borne virus that generally causes asymptomatic or mild illness in humans. Less than 1% of infected persons will develop severe disease. Because there is no specific treatment for the disease, mildly ill persons seldom require testing for WNV.

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Mosquitoes collected during the epidemic of West Nile virus (WN) in Staten Island, NY, during 2000 were identified to species, grouped into pools of up to 50 individuals, and tested for the presence of WN by using TaqMan reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect West Nile viral RNA, Vero cell plaque assay to detect infectious virus, and VecTest WNV/SLE Antigen Panel Assay. A total of 10,866 specimens was tested in 801 pools. Analysis of results indicated that TaqMan RT-PCR detected 34 WN-positive pools, more than either of the other techniques.

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Mosquitoes and wild birds were collected from three sites near locations in the New York City metropolitan area where single, West Nile (WN) virus-positive dead birds were found early in the 2000 transmission season. The mosquitoes were tested for the presence of infectious virus with a Vero cell culture assay and for WN viral RNA by using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) protocols. Serum samples from wild birds were tested for the presence of neutralizing antibodies against WN virus.

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Surveillance of container-inhabiting mosquitoes was conducted from June 17 through November 9, 1998, at 2 1997 La Crosse virus (LAC) human case sites (Knox and Cocke counties, Tennessee). Mosquitoes were collected weekly with 2 dry ice-baited Centers for Disease Control miniature light traps, 2 omnidirectional Fay traps, and 40 oviposition traps at each site. A total of 8,408 mosquitoes, composed of Ochlerotatus triseriatus (n = 2,095) and Aedes albopictus (n = 6,313), were reared or collected and assayed for virus.

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An antigen capture immunoassay to detect West Nile (WN) virus antigen in infected mosquitoes and avian tissues has been developed. With this assay purified WN virus was detected at a concentration of 32 pg/0.1 ml, and antigen in infected suckling mouse brain and laboratory-infected mosquito pools could be detected when the WN virus titer was 10(2.

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Article Synopsis
  • A blinded cohort study in 2000 examined La Crosse virus infection in children in eastern Tennessee, focusing on mosquito vectors.
  • Sixteen out of 40 children studied were confirmed to have the virus, linked to prolonged outdoor activity, living near tree holes, and high presence of Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.
  • The findings suggest that the recently introduced Aedes albopictus mosquitoes might play a significant role in the increase of La Crosse virus cases in the region.
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