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Volume 10, Number 12—December 2004
Research

VecTest as Diagnostic and Surveillance Tool for West Nile Virus in Dead Birds

Ward B. Stone*Comments to Author , Joseph C. Okoniewski*, Joseph E. Therrien*, Laura D. Kramer†, Elizabeth B. Kauffman†, and Millicent Eidson†
Author affiliations: *New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, New York, USA; †New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA; VecTest for Detecting West Nile Virus

Main Article

Table 1

Comparison of oral VecTest and RT-PCR resultsa,b for West Nile virus in dead birds, New York State, April 2003– July 2004

No. of birds
VecTest resultsc
Species (listed by order) No. birds tested RT-PCR–positive True positive (%)d False-positive (%)e
Ciconiiformes
  Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 8 1 0 0
Anseriformes
  Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 7 1 0 0
Falconiformes
  Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) 6 1 0 0
  Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) 14 3 1 0
  Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) 33 3 0 0
  Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) 3 1 0 0
  Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) 1 1 1 NA
  Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 36 11 0 (0) 0
  American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) 12 4 3 0
  Merlin (Falco columbarius) 4 1 0 0
  Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) 7 1 0 0
Galliformes
  Impeyan Pheasant (Lophophorus impeyanus) 1 1 0 0
Charadriiformes
  Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 3 1 0 0
  Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) 3 2 1 0
Columbiformes
  Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 75 6 0 0
Strigiformes
  Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) 25 12 0 (0) 1
Passeriformes
  Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 339 166 133 (80) 1 (1)
  American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 1,076 702 608 (87) 7 (2)
  Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus) 22 10 2 (20) 0
  Common Raven (Corvus corax) 2 1 0 0
  American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 233 16 3 (19) 1 (1)
  Gray Catbird (Dumatella carolinensis) 113 2 0 13 (12)
  Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) 2 1 0 0
  European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) 85 1 1 1 (1)
  Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) 5 1 0 0
  Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 21 6 4 0
  Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 189 6 3 1 (1)
  Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 8 1 0 1
  House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) 17 7 7 1
  House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 222 41 31 (76) 1 (1)
  Gouldian Finch (Chloebia gouldiae) 1 1 0 0
  Society Finch (Lonchura domestica) 1 1 1 NA
  Other speciesf 339 0 NA 8g (2)
Total all species 2,913 1,013 799 (79) 36 (2)

aRT-PCR, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction; NA, not available.
bPrincipally tests of kidney (brain or heart alternate when kidney missing).
cPercentages are provided for species where n > 10.
dNo. and percentage of RT-PCR–positive birds that were VecTest-positive.
eNo. and percentage of RT-PCR–negative birds that were VecTest-positive.
f84 species representing 16 orders.
gMute Swan (Cygnus olor) (1), Green Heron (Butorides virescens) (6), Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) (1).

Main Article

Page created: April 14, 2011
Page updated: April 14, 2011
Page reviewed: April 14, 2011
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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