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Date: July 21, 2003
Posted by: Anne B. Clark <aclark@binghamton.edu>

>When a crow dies of West Nile Virus, is it because it was bitten by one
>infected mosquito, or must several mosquitoes bite the bird over a period of
>time?

From: "Anne B. Clark" <aclark@binghamton.edu>

Based on my reading of Nick Komar's studies of infection and 
mortality in the lab, I think one bite would do it.  And that might 
not require a complete blood meal on the part of the mosquito.  Our 
observations of wild crows in night roosts, using infrared cameras, 
indicate that crows flick and head shake when insects are around, so
a mosquito may "probe" but not get a chance to feed completely.  But 
the initial probing can transfer saliva and it is at least POSSIBLE 
that that would be sufficient, depending on the species of mosquito.

Anne B. Clark, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Biological Sciences
Binghamton University
Binghamton, NY 13902
1-607-777-6228, Fax -777-6521

When the blackbird flew out of sight,
It marked the edge
Of one of many circles.
   Wallace Stevens: 13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird

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