WEST NILE VIRUS:Reflections on 20 Years

摘要

In 1999, West Nile vims was detected in the United States for the first time, and within five years it had spread from New York across the contiguous United States and into Canada, Mexico, and Central and South America. Transmitted to humans by mosquitoes that feed on infected birds, West Nile virus has served as a wake-up call to the challenge of preventing the spread of mosquito-borne diseases in the era of globalized trade and travel.Twenty years later, West Nile virus remains firmly established in the Americas, and other mosquito-borne diseases such as chikungunya, Zika, dengue, and strains of St. Louis and Eastern equine encephalitis have made incursions or reappearances as well. As the outbreak has continued, researchers have scrutinized West Nile virus and the mosquitoes that carry it. Though eradication of West Nile virus in the Americas remains yet beyond our capability, the body of knowledge built since 1999 isnow empowering efforts to minimize its impact and better prevent and respond to other mosquito-borne diseases.