Overwintering of West Nile virus in a bird community with a communal crow roost.

ABSTRACT: In temperate climates, transmission of West Nile virus (WNV) is detectable rarely during the coldest months (late fall through early spring), yet the virus has reappeared consistently during the next warm season. Several mechanisms may contribute to WNV persistence through winter, including bird-to-bird transmission among highly viremic species. Here we consider whether, under realistic scenarios supported by field and laboratory evidence, a winter bird community could sustain WNV through the winter in the absence of mosquitoes. With this purpose we constructed a deterministic model for a community of susceptible birds consisting of communally roosting crows, raptors and other birds. We simulated WNV introduction and subsequent transmission dynamics during the winter under realistic initia

SUBMITTER: Montecino-Latorre D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5904116 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature