ANTIBODIES TO ARTHROPOD-BORNE ENCEPHALITIS VIRUSES IN SMALL MAMMALS FROM SOUTHERN FLORIDA

From 1987 through 1991, blood samples were collected from 10 species o f small mammals in Indian River County, Florida (USA). Sera from 1,347 animals were analyzed for hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibody t o St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) and eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) v iruses. Of these, 75 (5.6%) were positive for HI antibody to SLE virus and 121 (9.0%) were positive for EEE antibody. Sera from five mammali an species were tested for neutralizing (NT) antibody to SLE, EEE, Hig hlands J (HJ, a member of the western equine encephalitis virus comple x), or Everglades (EVE, a member of the Venezuelan equine encephalitis complex) viruses. By serum neutralization tests, 26 (46%) of 57 had S LE antibodies, 14 (24%) of 58 had EEE antibodies, two (3.2%) of 63 had HJ antibodies, and 9 (14%) of 63 had EVE antibodies. One Sigmodon his pidus and one Peromyscus gossypinus had NT antibodies both to EEE and HJ viruses. Blood samples from 512 mammals were tested for virus. Isol ations of one EVE virus and two unidentified arenaviruses were made fr om II gossypinus, and one EVE virus isolate was made from a S. hispidu s.