TY - JOUR AU - Eidson, Millicent AU - Schmit, Kate AU - Hagiwara, Yoichiro AU - Anand, Madhu AU - Backenson, P. Bryon AU - Gotham, Ivan AU - Kramer, Laura T1 - Dead Crow Density and West Nile Virus Monitoring, New York T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2005 VL - 11 IS - 9 SP - 1370 SN - 1080-6059 AB - New York State used the health commerce system to monitor the number of West Nile virus (WNV) human disease cases and the density of dead crows. In each year from 2001 to 2003 and for the 3 years combined, persons living in New York counties (excluding New York City) with elevated weekly dead crow densities (above a threshold value of 0.1 dead crows per square mile) had higher risk (2.0–8.6 times) for disease caused by WNV within the next 2 weeks than residents of counties reporting fewer dead crows per square mile. This type of index can offer a real-time, relatively inexpensive window into viral activity in time for prevention and control. Changes in reporting, bird populations, and immunity may require that thresholds other than 0.1 be used in later years or in other areas. KW - West Nile virus KW - epidemiology KW - forecasting KW - flaviviruses KW - research KW - New York KW - United States DO - 10.3201/eid1109.040712 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/11/9/04-0712_article ER - End of Reference