# Presentation: 209537

## WNV in Illinois, 2001

- Connie Austin DVM MPH PhD, state public health veterinarian, Illinois Department of Public Health

## OR How are we going to manage all this dead bird information??

## Three State Agencies Involved in WNV Activities in Illinois

- Illinois Department of Agriculture
- Equine surveillance
- Dead bird necropsy and testing
- Illinois Department of Natural Resources
- Field biologists
- Research
- Illinois Department of Public Health
- Management of surveillance data

## Coordination Between Agencies

- List-server with all three agencies
- Regular meetings with all agencies

## Illinois Structure for Surveillance and Control Activities

- 102 counties
- Population 12.5 million
- 94 local health departments
- 21 Mosquito Abatement Districts

## Illinois Standard for Arbovirus Surveillance (pre-WNV)

- Wild bird serology
- Human arbovirus surveillance
- Equine encephalitis surveillance

## Five-point Plan for WNV Surveillance, 2001

- Dead bird surveillance
- Wild bird surveillance
- Mosquito pools
- Equine encephalitis and WNV surveillance
- Human surveillance

## Sources of Data

- USDA horse testing data
- NW MAD mosquito pool data
- IDA dead bird results
- Dead bird submission forms
- USGS lab results

## Problems with Data Collection

- Multiple ID numbers
- Multiple sites entering same data in different databases
- Demands for quick turnaround time by local jurisdictions

## Dead Bird Surveillance

- Informational memo sent to LHD’s and others
- Criteria for dead bird submission
- Only blue jays, crows or raptors
- Freshly dead
- Dead bird submission form
- Dead bird shipping and testing information
- Monetary support-CDC and state

## Slide 11

## Dead Bird Issues

- Caps on number of dead birds per jurisdiction
- Return of Results
- IDPH Intranet
- IDPH Web site

## Dead Bird Testing-Results

- 284 dead birds tested for WNV in IL
- 279 sent for confirmation at USGS lab
- 57 unsuitable birds submitted (wrong species, decomposed)

## WNV Positive Birds by Week in Illinois

## Percent of Birds of Various Types Testing WNV Positive

## Slide 16

## Slide 17

## Bi-weekly: August 19, 2001 – October 13, 2001

- 8/19-9/1

- 9/2-9/15

- 9/16-9/29

- 9/30-10/13

## Wild Bird Serology

- Collection of small birds across the state
- Collections in areas where dead birds tested positive for WNV
- Tested by IDPH laboratory for IgM ELISA for WNV, EEE and SLE

## Wild Bird Serology-Results

- None of 7,796 birds tested were positive
- Wild bird serology using IgM ELISA did not appear to be useful for WNV surveillance in IL

## Mosquito pools

- A mosquito abatement district in Cook County tested mosquito pools for WNV
- A tabletop test, VecTest was used
- Pools were sent for confirmation to CDC

## Mosquito pool-Results

- 81 *Culex* pools were collected and tested in Cook County
- 20 tested positive
- Positives were from August 15 through October 12
- Followed closely with dead bird positives in that area

## Slide 23

## Horse Surveillance 

- Horses were tested for WNV in Illinois for regulatory/export purposes, due to clinical illness and because of owner concern
- Encephalitis in horses is reportable to the IDA

## Horse Testing-results

- 43 horses tested
- 2 of 9 with symptoms were positive
- Cook and Kane county

## Human Surveillance

- Sera and CSF requested of all aseptic meningitis and encephalitis cases in the state
- Sera and CSF are tested for 4 arboviruses

## Human Surveillance-Results

- 663 symptomatic people under surveillance were tested for arboviruses
- None tested positive for WNV
- 6 tested positive for LAC

## Persons under Surveillance for Arboviruses by Year

## Persons Under Surveillance for Arbovirus Infection by Month

## Lessons Learned

- Type of Dead Bird Laboratory Testing
- Better Data Management
- Wild Bird Serology
- Mosquito Pools
- Sharing of Information about WNV Positive Horses Between Agencies

## Other issues

- Allocation of Dead Bird Testing by Jurisdiction
- Recommendations when human cases occur
- Lab Reagent Availabilities
- Microsoft Access and Mapping Training

## Questions?