STUDIES ON WESTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS ASSOCIATED WITH WILD DUCKS IN SASKATCHEWAN

Abstract

It has been shown by many workers in the United States that wild birds are associated with the natural history of Western equine encephalitis (WEE). They have also demonstrated that birds can be infected with WEE virus through the bite of an infected mosquito. Wild ducks of many species make up a large part of the bird population to be found in Saskatchewan from April to November each year. By using the neutralization technique, we have found that WEE antibodies are present in the blood of many wild ducks, indicating previous infection with the virus. Further studies carried out at this laboratory showed that wild ducks can be infected with the virus by the oral route, suggesting another possible means by which birds could be naturally infected.