Environmental predictors of human West Nile virus infections, Colorado

Emerg Infect Dis. 2007 Nov;13(11):1788-90. doi: 10.3201/eid1311.070506.

Abstract

To determine whether environmental surveillance of West Nile Virus-positive dead birds, mosquito pools, equines, and sentinel chickens helped predict human cases in metropolitan Denver, Colorado, during 2003, we analyzed human surveillance data and environmental data. Birds successfully predicted the highest proportion of human cases, followed by mosquito pools, and equines.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Birds
  • Chickens
  • Colorado / epidemiology
  • Culicidae
  • Disease Reservoirs / virology
  • Environment
  • Geography
  • Horses
  • Humans
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Sentinel Surveillance
  • West Nile Fever / epidemiology*
  • West Nile Fever / virology
  • West Nile virus / isolation & purification*