Presenters' Abstracts

Uriel Kitron

West Nile Virus in Chicago: Considering the Past, Understanding the Present, Predicting the Future

In the greater Chicago area, certain neighborhoods are historical hotspots for transmission of West Nile virus and other mosquito borne diseases. The spatial and temporal distribution of disease can be related to landscape, climate, demography and socio-economic factors. In an eco-epidemiological study of around Chicago, fine scale heterogeneity of environmental risk factors, bird reservoirs, mosquito vectors and viral genetics were detected. GIS spatial analysis and other tools were applied to associate epidemiological, entomological and pathogen data with potential risk factors. The goal is to explain historical and present distribution patterns of transmission and diseases and to identify high risk areas and time periods. This knowledge can be used to asses and prepare for new diseases, and to target surveillance and control measures.