The media buzz may have quieted considerably, but West Nile virus continues to cause illness and death nationwide and is here
to stay. Within six years of the initial detection of this exotic mosquito-borne virus in New York, it has spread to all continental
states, through Canada and Mexico, and into Central America. What's more, West Nile virus continues to surprise infectious
disease experts and epidemiologists. It was predicted that West Nile virus cases would wane dramatically after initial outbreaks
in naïve regions, but flare-ups have occurred in some parts of the country.
Morbidity and mortality from West Nile virus infection are certainly most prevalent in birds, followed by horses and people,
but the virus has an unusual ability to infect myriad species, including dogs and cats. Fortunately, West Nile virus infection
appears to rarely cause disease in dogs and has been documented even less frequently in cats. The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) has fielded a staggering number of inquiries about the virus in pets. Do you know the correct answers
to your clients' questions about West Nile virus?
THE STORY OF WEST NILE VIRUS
This flavivirus was historically known to cause sporadic outbreaks of febrile disease in Africa and the Middle East. It was
first identified in the West Nile district of Uganda in 1937.1 Few cases of neurologic involvement or of West Nile virus-induced disease in species other than humans were reported. However,
in the mid- to late 1990s, a more aggressive, neurovirulent strain of West Nile virus appeared in the Mediterranean, causing
morbidity and mortality not only in people but also in horses and birds.2-5 Genetic analyses suggest that the strain of West Nile virus that was brought to New York and first detected in the fall
of 1999 was a descendant of an avian West Nile virus isolate from Israel.6,7 Despite aggressive mosquito control efforts and hopes that the cold northeastern winter would eradicate West Nile virus,
never before seen on the American continents, it has become established in the environment and has spread rapidly. It is thought
to spread through multiple means, such as insects blowing in the wind and migratory birds, although no one knows exactly how
it spreads.
ECOLOGY AND EPIDEMIOLOGY
The ability of West Nile virus to infect a wide variety of species is probably the biggest factor not only in its successful
establishment but also in the patchy, unpredictable character of West Nile virus activity, which is explosive in some regions
and nearly silent in others. West Nile virus is maintained in nature in a bird-mosquito cycle, but thousands of species of
birds and mosquitoes exist, and their distribution varies with local ecology, season, and climate fluctuations such as drought.
Birds vary dramatically in their ability to replicate West Nile virus (and, thus, to pass it on to feeding mosquitoes),8 and some mosquitoes are much more efficient at transmitting West Nile virus.9-11 Furthermore, mosquito species vary in their feeding habits, which range from specific to comparatively unselective. Mosquitoes
that feed on both birds and mammals are referred to as bridging vectors, since they provide a link for mammalian exposure to the bird-mosquito cycle of West Nile virus. Variations in feeding preferences
of local bridging vector mosquitoes may explain why some areas of the nation have seen a high intensity of both equine and
human cases, while in other regions, there have been sizeable outbreaks in one species yet relatively few cases in the other.
WEST NILE VIRUS IN CATS AND DOGS
Many viruses encountered in small-animal veterinary practice can infect only a few or even a single mammalian species. As
demonstrated by laboratory and field data, West Nile virus has the unusual ability to establish infection in a variety of
animals, ranging from alligators to wolves—and including dogs and cats.
Infection and contagion
Studies performed at Colorado State University revealed that both dogs and cats readily become infected after being bitten
by West Nile virus-infected mosquitoes.12,13 Fortunately, it appears that the risk of the virus spreading to owners, other animals, or veterinarians working with infected
dogs and cats is minimal; West Nile virus replicates to fairly low levels in the tissues of these animals, and no virus was
detected in saliva.12 Of course, proper precautions should be taken with patients that potentially have zoonotic diseases. In cases of West Nile
virus, particular care should be used in handling blood from affected animals.
Featuring Information from:
