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Transcript
Scientists collaborate on study of West Nile Virus By Kim Colavito Markesich Antonio Garmendia, associate professor of pathobiology, recently completed the research portion of a collaborative project in Madrid, Spain, with Juan Carlos Saiz, a scientist at the INIA Ministry of Science and Technology in Madrid. Garmendia and Saiz met as postdoctoral fellows students at Plum Island Animal Disease Center. Saiz called Garmendia as West Nile fever reached Portugal, France, and Italy, concerned that Spain was next. Garmendia agreed to participate as an external consultant in a West Nile surveillance project in of Spain. That led to the research collaboration with Saiz during the fall of 2004. Garmendia was involved with the initial isolation of the virus in the United States. Since its introduction in the Northeast, the disease can now be found throughout the U.S., several Canadian provinces, and northern Mexico. “When the virus first hit, thousands of birds died. It was particularly striking in the United States,” Garmendia remarks. Once an infectious disease becomes established, natural selection takes over as some resistant animals survive. These carriers become persistently infected, spreading the disease rather than immediately succumbing to it. Says Garmendia, “During the normal virus cycle, the virus is transmitted by mosquitoes, primarily to birds. We found a hawk during the winter of 2000 that succumbed to West Nile of an acute death. The hawk probably ingested infected animal. This means that the virus can overwinter. So we ask, where is the virus during the winter when there are no mosquitoes?” The virus could be wintering in small prey such as snakes or frogs, or in small mammals such as rodents. In mammals, the mother may transfer the virus during pregnancy, with the offspring serving as a reservoir for the virus. The Spain project examined the distribution of the virus, as well as the persistence in different organs and tissues. “Most of the West Nile virus research has been focused on birds, horses, and humans,” says Garmendia. “Very little is known about the disease in other species such as wild mammals.” “The next step is to find out how the virus is being maintained,” says Garmendia. “If we understood that, we could control it better.” The project consisted of two mouse models: adult mice to model the general population in nature, and pregnant mice to model maternal-fetal transmission.” “We wonder whether infection during pregnancy can be one of the mechanisms of viral persistence in nature,” he says. Currently, hundreds thousands of samples are being studied and processed. In addition to Garmendia and Saiz, several other members of the team are assisting with sample analysis. These include Mariano Domingo, PhD, a veterinary pathologist and director of CReSa at Bellaterra, a state laboratory in Barcelona; Estela Escribano, postdoctoral fellow, and Laura Cordobvae, graduate student, both from the University of Madrid. Garmendia enjoyed working in Spain and plans to invite Saiz here as they complete the project. “It was a very productive collaboration,” Garmendia remarks. “I’m looking forward to reviewing the data over the next few months.”