An Ecological Survey for Arboviruses in Almirante, Panama, 1959–1962

Abstract

SummaryA three-year survey was conducted to determine the arboviruses active in a tropical rainforest area of Panama. Materials for virus isolation attempts consisted of blood specimens from febrile patients, sera and tissues from domestic and wild vertebrates, blood-sucking insects taken on a variety of baits and sentinel mice exposed in the field. These specimens were collected or exposed in a variety of habitats which included upland tropical rainforest, swamp forest, open freshwater marsh and domestic and peridomestic habitats. Following is a list of the arboviruses isolated and the sources from which they were obtained: Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis: human blood, wild rodents, sentinel mice, adult birds, nestling birds, mosquitoes; Una: mosquitoes; Mayaro: mosquitoes; Bussuquara: sentinel mice, mosquitoes; Ilhéus: adult birds, mosquitoes, Phlebotomus sandflies; Caraparu: sentinel mice; Nepuyo: wild rodents; Ossa: human blood; Madrid: human blood, sentinel mice; BT 4971 (new group C agent): wild rodents, sentinel mice; BT 5012 (new group C agent): wild rodents, sentinel mice; Guama group: sentinel mice, mosquitoes; Cache Valley: mosquitoes; Guaroa: mosquitoes; Wyeomyia: mosquitoes; Vesicular stomatitis (Indiana): Phlebotomus sandflies; BT 436 (new arbovirus type): human blood, Phlebotomus sandflies.The report concludes with a discussion of annual cycles of virus activity and considerations on the habitat in relation to arbovirus activity.