Operations I
Operations I
Wild birds play an important role in the natural cycle of arboviruses such as West Nile virus. Serosurveillance of wild birds can enhance early detection of arbovirus circulation and indicate the geographic extent of transmission within the host population. However, as avian species do not show equivalent response to arbovirus exposure, it is important to determine which species will provide the most utility for a serosurveillance program. An ideal target species should be abundant and widely distributed throughout the study area, have diagnostic traits that make determining age relatively simple, be likely to be exposed to arthropod vectors, and able to survive infection and mount a strong and long-lasting immune response. This presentation will discuss insights from twenty years of West Nile virus serosurveillance in Harris County and relevant life history traits of resident bird species and provide recommendations for establishing avian arbovirus serosurveillance programs.