Smithsonian Hosts Summit on West Nile Virus

2/11/2003

From: Vicki Moeser, 202-357-2627 ext. 111, or Jaime Kobin, 202-357-2627 ext. 127, both of the Smithsonian Institution

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 -- In response to the alarming spread of West Nile virus in North America and its potential for taking a severe toll on wildlife populations, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) hosted a summit Feb. 5-6 for about 100 scientists at its Edgewater, Md., facility.

The workshop, titled "West Nile Virus and Wildlife Health," was co-chaired by Peter Marra of SERC and Robert McLean of the National Wildlife Research Center of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The summit was co-sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution, USDA, the National Audubon Society and the U.S. Geological Survey.

"West Nile virus is one of the most serious invasive pathogens to enter this country in the past century," says Marra, an animal ecologist at SERC. "This meeting was the first of its kind coordinating government agencies, academic institutions and non-profits to think about West Nile virus, and other emerging diseases as threats to wildlife populations. We were able to bring together researchers and scientists to prioritize, coordinate research efforts and work to standardize methodologies to determine the effects of this virus on wildlife."

West Nile virus, endemic to Africa, Eastern Europe, Western Asia and the Middle East, but never in the Western Hemisphere, hit New York in 1999 and spread at an alarming rate both geographically and in the number of humans and animals affected. The disease is transmitted primarily through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Understandably, much of the focus on West Nile has been on its human impact.

But the virus has had an equally detrimental effect on animal populations, according to Marra and other researchers. Wild bird mortality has aided public health agencies in tracking the path of the West Nile pathogen and continues to provide an early warning system for the emergence of the virus in new locations.

The scientists gathered at SERC-including ornithologists, virologists, epidemiologists, entomologists and others-convened to prioritize and coordinate research to study and combat the impact of the virus on wildlife populations, especially those that are threatened or endangered, prior to the next transmission season-spring through fall. Participants represented both public and private organizations, including the American Bird Conservancy, University of Florida, Wildlife Trust, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Canadian Wildlife Service, the Illinois Natural History Survey, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The group set several research priorities, including the need to understand how the virus spreads.

Because it is difficult to predict where it will show up next, it is difficult to plan intervention. "There also needs to be more research on understanding the complexity of the disease and how the pathogen works," Marra adds. "Until we understand the basic transmission cycle, there's little we can do to stop it. There's still a lot to learn; there's so much we don't know."

Scientists discussed, with some urgency, the threat West Nile poses to our native bird populations. "West Nile has impacted more than 100 bird species, and has killed countless numbers of birds and other wildlife," says Audubon Senior Vice President of Science Frank Gill. "West Nile adds yet another life-threatening challenge to the state of North American birds at a time when they are under sever stress from other problems. If we are to protect our great natural heritage, then we must first learn all that we can about West Nile, and last week's meeting was a big step forward."

"We know that some local bird populations have been affected by West Nile Virus," said Christopher Brand, a wildlife disease scientist for the U.S. Geological Survey. "But on a regional or continent-wide basis, we don't know what the long-term ramifications are, especially to threatened or endangered species, where even small geographic-scale disease outbreaks could be disastrous."

West Nile virus does appear to threaten several endangered species, including scrub jays, whooping cranes, condors, prairie chickens and red-cockaded woodpeckers, to name a few.

The extent and impact on wildlife health is difficult to measure and quantify, says McLean of USDA's National Wildlife Research Center. Hundreds of thousands of birds, mammals and reptiles throughout the United States have died. "West Nile virus appears to be indiscriminate in how it affects groups of organisms," McLean says, "and it is very efficient in what it does."

West Nile virus is in all but four of the continental United States, Canada and Mexico. The concern is that it will eventually spread to Hawaii, the Caribbean and Central America where wildlife is already threatened from a host of other effects.

Marra says scientists will continue to collaborate, work on these research priorities, and meet again in 18 months to reassess the situation. For workshop information: http://www.serc.si.edu/migratorybirds/current_events_ fin.htm.