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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 2

Comparative sensitivity of VecTest with swabs from different sources in RT-PCR–positive birdsa,b

Species N No. positive (% positivec) by VecTest
Oral Cloacal Heart blood Kidney
Blue Jay 37 29 (78) 31 (84) 28 (76) 33 (89)
American Crow 36 24 (67) 25 (69) 25 (69) 30 (83)
House Sparrow 11 9 (82) 9 (82) 10 (91) 10 (91)
Raptorsd 18e 1 (6)f 0 0 1 (6)g

aRT-PCR, reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction.
bFour sources from each bird, with exceptions noted in footnote e.
cWide band positive only (see text).
dSharp-shinned Hawk (1), Cooper’s Hawk (1), Red-tailed Hawk (7), American Kestrel (1), Merlin (1), Peregrine Falcon (1), Great Horned Owl (6).
en = 14 for cloaca; n = 15 for heart blood.
fPositive VecTest in one American Kestrel.
gPositive VecTest in one Great Horned Owl.

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