2012 MAINE ARBOVIRAL UPDATE

Megan Saunders

Division of Infectious Disease, Maine CDC

286 Water Street, 8th Floor, SHS 11

Augusta, ME 04430

megan.saunders@maine.gov

ABSTRACT

2012 was a productive year for arboviral activity in Maine. Mosquito collection ran from July 1 through October 5. Collections came from 4 counties in Maine, including 20 towns. Over 1,200 mosquito pools were tested in 2012 with 7 pools testing positive for West Nile virus. The positive results came from Cumberland and York Counties and all positive pools were collected in August and September. Eastern equine encephalitis virus was isolated from a pheasant flock in York County which experienced a die-off of pheasants beginning in the first week of September. One human tested positive for West Nile virus at Maine’s Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory in 2012; however the patient was a Pennsylvania resident with the majority of the exposure period occurring outside of Maine. 2012 marks the fourth year of Maine’s Eastern equine encephalitis serosurvey with federal CDC. So far positive serum has been collected in 13 of Maine’s 16 counties, with positives occurring in deer, moose and wild turkeys.