VENUE OF AMPLIFICATION OF EEE OUTBREAKS

描述（改编自申请人的摘要）：本提案旨在 确定东部马脑炎病毒（EEEV）是否爆发 主要是那些在当地数量很高的鸟类， 被病媒蚊子反复探测的栖息地， 并且经常随着感染减弱而死亡;这些特性指向椋鸟， 也许是八哥或知更鸟将比较EEEV的储层关系 与那些共同传播和更快速扩增的高地J病毒 （HJV）。这项研究将：（1）确定许多鸟类栖息在社区附近 马萨诸塞州东南部沼泽，其中有地方病媒蚊子 （Culiseta melanura）繁殖，并描述鸟类每日的距离和方向 扩散;（2）确定椋鸟，grackles和 通过比较病毒的能力， 地方病媒蚊与这些鸟类的取食接触，以及频率 中断这种联系。接触病媒所需的时间 病毒传播也将被测量;（3）确定病毒的传播地点 通过比较栖息地中病媒蚊子的密度， 通过确定这些虫媒病毒是否大多数 经常感染大规模地区附近的地方病媒介蚊子， 共同栖息地;（4）与幼虫地方病媒介的密度有关 蚊子与它们繁殖的沼泽的成熟度，以检查 这种观点认为，20世纪世纪， 雪松沼泽，这使新北地区的椋鸟数量激增。的 拟议的努力测试的概念，EEEV可能永久主要是在 许多有病毒能力的鸟类在连续的夜晚栖息，特别是如果 病媒与宿主的接触是频繁的，这种鸟往往会因其传染性而死亡。 衰退。这项研究寻求水库容量的一般定义， 预期有助于更好地抑制EEEV爆发。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from the Applicant's Abstract): This proposal aims to determine whether outbreaks of eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) develop mainly among birds that attain high local abundance, are faithful to particular roost sites, are probed repeatedly by vector mosquitoes, are virus-competent and often die as infection wanes; these properties point towards starlings and perhaps grackles or robins. Reservoir relationships of EEEV will be compared with those of the co-transmitted and more rapidly amplifying Highlands J virus (HJV). The study will: (1) determine where numerous birds roost communally near southeastern Massachusetts swamps, in which enzootic vector mosquitoes (Culiseta melanura) breed, and describe distance and direction of avian daily dispersal; (2) define the reservoir characteristics of starlings, grackles and robins for these arboviruses by comparing virus-competence, frequency of feeding contact by enzootic vector mosquitoes with these birds, and frequency of interruption of such contact. The duration of vector contact required for virus transmission also will be measured; (3) identify the venue of virus transmission in nature by comparing the density of vector mosquitoes in roost sites to that in other sites and by determining whether these arboviruses most frequently infect enzootic vector mosquitoes in the vicinity of massive communal roost sites; (4) relate the density of larval enzootic vector mosquitoes with the maturity of the swamps in which they breed, to examine the notion that the emergence of EEE was promoted by the 20th century return of cedar swamps, which paralleled the Nearctic proliferation of starlings. The proposed effort tests the concept that EEEV may perpetuate mainly where numerous virus-competent birds roost on successive nights, especially if vector-host contact is frequent and such birds tend to die as their infectivity wanes. The research seeks a general definition of reservoir capacity and anticipates contributing to improved suppression of EEEV outbreaks.