Host Feeding Patterns of Potential Vectors of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus at an Epizootic Focus in Tennessee

Sara B. Cohen Vector-Borne Diseases Section, Communicable and Environmental Diseases, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Biology, Union University, Jackson, Tennessee; Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Nashville, Tennessee

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Kenneth Lewoczko Vector-Borne Diseases Section, Communicable and Environmental Diseases, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Biology, Union University, Jackson, Tennessee; Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Nashville, Tennessee

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Dora B. Huddleston Vector-Borne Diseases Section, Communicable and Environmental Diseases, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Biology, Union University, Jackson, Tennessee; Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Nashville, Tennessee

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Erin Moody Vector-Borne Diseases Section, Communicable and Environmental Diseases, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Biology, Union University, Jackson, Tennessee; Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Nashville, Tennessee

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Sudeshna Mukherjee Vector-Borne Diseases Section, Communicable and Environmental Diseases, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Biology, Union University, Jackson, Tennessee; Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Nashville, Tennessee

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John R. Dunn Vector-Borne Diseases Section, Communicable and Environmental Diseases, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Biology, Union University, Jackson, Tennessee; Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Nashville, Tennessee

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Timothy F. Jones Vector-Borne Diseases Section, Communicable and Environmental Diseases, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Biology, Union University, Jackson, Tennessee; Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Nashville, Tennessee

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Ron Wilson Vector-Borne Diseases Section, Communicable and Environmental Diseases, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Biology, Union University, Jackson, Tennessee; Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Nashville, Tennessee

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Abelardo C. Moncayo Vector-Borne Diseases Section, Communicable and Environmental Diseases, Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee; Department of Biology, Union University, Jackson, Tennessee; Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt School of Medicine, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Nashville, Tennessee

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In 2006, 2,817 blood-fed mosquitoes were collected from the site of a 2005 eastern equine encephalitis outbreak in Chester County, TN. Using a polymerase chain reaction–based assay, 264 vertebrate hosts were identified from seven mosquito species. Culex erraticus and Cx. nigripalpus fed on a diversity of mammalian, avian, and reptilian hosts, whereas Anopheles quadrimaculatus and An. punctipennis were predominantly mammalophagic. Overall, 27% of Cx. nigripalpus, 16% of Cx. erraticus, and 7% of An. quadrimaculatus blood meals were acquired from avian hosts. No avian-derived blood meals were identified from An. punctipennis. The house finch, Carolina wren, and mourning dove were the most commonly identified avian host species. By incorporating this study with flight range, vector competence, and virus field isolation data, we assessed certain aspects of the enzootic and epizootic vectorial capacity of the mosquito species present at this outbreak site.

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