Bentler Kevin T, Hall Jeffrey S, Root J Jeffrey, Klenk Kaci, Schmit Brandon, Blackwell Bradley F, Ramey Paul C, Clark Larry
National Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service/Wildlife Services, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA.
Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2007 Jan;76(1):173-9.
Sera from 936 mammalian mesopredators (Virginia opossums, gray foxes, striped skunks, hooded skunks, raccoons, a bobcat, and a red fox) were collected during 2003 and 2004 in California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Ohio, and Wyoming and screened for flavivirus-specific antibodies by an epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (blocking ELISA). Serum samples positive for antibodies against flaviviruses were screened for West Nile virus (WNV)-specific antibodies by blocking ELISA and selectively confirmed with plaque-reduction neutralization tests. High prevalence rates were observed in raccoons (45.6%) and striped skunks (62.9%). The high WNV antibody prevalence noted in mesopredators, their peridomestic tendencies, and their overall pervasiveness make these species potentially useful sentinels for monitoring flaviviruses in defined areas.
2003年至2004年期间，在加利福尼亚州、亚利桑那州、得克萨斯州、路易斯安那州、俄亥俄州和怀俄明州采集了936只哺乳动物中食肉动物（弗吉尼亚负鼠、灰狐、条纹臭鼬、带帽臭鼬、浣熊、一只短尾猫和一只赤狐）的血清，并通过表位阻断酶联免疫吸附试验（阻断ELISA）筛选黄病毒特异性抗体。对黄病毒抗体呈阳性的血清样本，通过阻断ELISA筛选西尼罗河病毒（WNV）特异性抗体，并通过蚀斑减少中和试验进行选择性确认。在浣熊（45.6%）和条纹臭鼬（62.9%）中观察到高流行率。中食肉动物中WNV抗体的高流行率、它们在住宅区附近活动的习性以及它们的广泛分布，使得这些物种有可能成为在特定区域监测黄病毒的有用哨兵。
