Historical perspectives on California encephalitis virus in California.

CEV is primarily associated with Ae. melanimon as its maintenance host and vector in California. A few species of lagomorphs and rodents will develop a transient viremia when infected. Infection of domestic mammals and man is frequent but rarely results in a clinical disease. Extensive field and laboratory studies lead to the conclusion that CEV probably is a mosquito virus that is partially adapted to a narrow range of vertebrate hosts but is not reliant on vertebrates for its continuous existence. JCV has many similarities to CEV in California in that it is dependent on one mosquito, Cu. inornata, as its vector and, as far as is known, the same group of mammalian species as for CEV serve as hosts for JCV.