Eastern equine encephalitis virus in birds: Relative competence of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)

To determine whether eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus infection in s tarlings may be more fulminant than in various native candidate reservoir b irds, we compared their respective intensities and durations of viremia. Vi remias are more intense and longer lasting in starlings than in robins and other birds. Starlings frequently die as their viremia begins to wane; othe r birds generally survive. Various Aedes as well as Culiseta melanura mosqu itoes can acquire EEE viral infection from infected starlings under laborat ory conditions. The reservoir competence of a bird is described as the prod uct of infectiousness (proportion of feeding mosquitoes that become infecte d) and the duration of infectious viremia. Although starlings are not origi nally native where EEE is enzootic, a starling can infect about three times as many mosquitoes as can a robin.