2003 Public Lecture Series
The World of Microbes: Uncovering Infectious Agents
Part 2
West Nile virus was first identified in North America in 1999 in New York City. Over the past three years, the virus has spread to all of New York State as well as 43 other states and Canada. West Nile virus cycles in nature between mosquitoes and birds, and humans become infected by the bite of an infected mosquito. This presentation will discuss how West Nile may have been introduced into this country and the current status in the U.S. Learn how the virus cycles in nature, and how we track its spread. Learn about West Nile disease in humans and horses.
Kristen Bernard, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Dr. Bernard is the assistant director of Wadsworth Center's Arbovirus Research Laboratory. She joined the Center in 2000 as part of the team investigating the West Nile virus outbreak in New York State. In addition to her role in overseeing surveillance for West Nile virus and other insect-transmitted viruses, she is active in virus research funded by the National Institutes of Health. Her studies focus on understanding the interaction of viruses with their animal hosts. In particular, she is interested in how viruses invade the brain and cause encephalitis. Dr. Bernard received a veterinary degree from the University of California-Davis and a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and she was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She has taught virology and immunology, and given numerous research presentations. She recently received a new investigator award from the International Society for Neurovirology.