Zoological institution participation in a West Nile virus surveillance system: Implications for public health

Summary Objective To identify attributes of zoological institutions and surveillance system factors that were associated with participation in the West Nile Virus Surveillance System for Zoological Institutions in the USA, and to assess the potential effectiveness of zoos as a novel data source for surveillance of emerging infectious zoonoses. Study design Retrospective. Methods The number of specimens submitted between August 2001 and December 2006 for West Nile virus testing was determined for each institution. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the distribution of number of specimens submitted and features of the institutions. Student’s t -test was used to assess potential associations between institutional and animal collection characteristics and the total number of specimens submitted by each institution. Results Factors associated with institutional participation include: submitting specimens for specific purposes of serosurvey testing, sentinel surveillance, vaccine titre checks, vaccine effectiveness, submitting specimens for multiple reasons, and communication with public health. Conclusion Understanding how zoo and surveillance system characteristics are associated with participation in this surveillance effort may enhance public health efforts and the design of future zoological surveillance efforts.