Title
Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus in Iquitos, Peru: Urban transmission or a sylvatic strain
Date Issued
01 December 2008
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Morrison A.C.
Forshey B.M.
Notyce D.
Lopez V.
Carrion R.
Carey C.
Eza D.
Montgomery J.M.
Kochel T.J.
Naval Medical Research Command
Naval Medical Research Command
Abstract
Enzootic strains of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) have been isolated from febrile patients in the Peruvian Amazon Basin at low but consistent levels since the early 1990s. Through a clinic-based febrile surveillance program, we detected an outbreak of VEEV infections in Iquitos, Peru, in the first half of 2006. The majority of these patients resided within urban areas of Iquitos, with no report of recent travel outside the city. To characterize the risk factors for VEEV infection within the city, an antibody prevalence study was carried out in a geographically stratified sample of urban areas of Iquitos. Additionally, entomological surveys were conducted to determine if previously incriminated vectors of enzootic VEEV were present within the city. We found that greater than 23% of Iquitos residents carried neutralizing antibodies against VEEV, with significant associations between increased antibody prevalence and age, occupation, mosquito net use, and overnight travel. Furthermore, potential vector mosquitoes were widely distributed across the city. Our results suggest that while VEEV infection is more common in rural areas, transmission also occurs within urban areas of Iquitos, and that further studies are warranted to identify the precise vectors and reservoirs involved in urban VEEV transmission.
Volume
2
Issue
12
OCDE Knowledge area
Virología Epidemiología
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-65549130082
PubMed ID
Source
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus