Viremia profiles and host competence index for West Nile virus (Flavivirus, Flaviviridae) in three autochthonous birds species from Argentina

West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging Flavivirus dispersing throughout the American continent. It has emerged in the United States as an important medical and veterinary pathogen. It was introduced into Argentina late in 2004 with reported activity in human, wild birds and equines. Field evidence supports the hypothesis of an enzootic transmission cycle between free ranging birds and mosquitoes. The aim of this research was to analyze the role of autochthonous birds as maintenance hosts. Bay-Winged Cowbirds, Picui Ground Doves and Shiny Cowbirds were subcutaneously inoculated with an Argentinean isolate of WNV. Bay-Winged and Shiny Cowbirds developed relatively low mean peak viremias (102.7 and 103.5 PFU/mL serum, respectively). Picui Ground Doves had the highest peak viremia titers of the longest duration [104.8 log PFU/mL serum (range 102.9–6.2; 4–5 days duration)]. No mortality was observed during the study. The reservoir competence index for each species suggests that an infected Picui Ground Dove leads to ten times more infectious mosquitoes than one infected Shiny Cowbird, and that Bay-Winged Cowbird do not represent a source of infectious virus for mosquito vectors. This is the first study carried out in the region regarding the avian host of WNV in Argentina. However, additional studies, including seroprevalence and reservoir competence of resident birds as well as vector competence, are needed to shed light on the ecology of this pathogen in Argentina.