ABSTRACT
Wild caught rock pigeons (Columba livia) with antibodies to West Nile virus were monitored for 15 months to determine antibody persistence and compare results of three serologic techniques. Antibodies persisted for the entire study as detected by epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and plaque reduction neutralization test. Maternal antibodies in squabs derived from seropositive birds persisted for an average of 27 days.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Viral/blood , West Nile Fever/diagnosis , West Nile virus/isolation & purification , Animals , Animals, Wild , Columbidae , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical , Time Factors , Viral Plaque Assay , West Nile Fever/transmission , West Nile virus/immunologyABSTRACT
Feral rock pigeons were screened for neutralizing antibodies to West Nile virus (WNV) during late winter/spring and summer of 2002 and 2003. Additionally, virus isolation from serum was attempted from 269 birds collected during peak transmission periods. The observed viremia levels and seroprevalence indicate that this species could be involved in amplifying WNV in urban settings.
