Award Date
5-15-2026
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Department
Environmental and Global Health
First Committee Member
Louisa Messenger
Second Committee Member
Patricia Cruz
Third Committee Member
Mark P. Buttner
Fourth Committee Member
Chad Cross
Fifth Committee Member
Allen Gibbs
Number of Pages
78
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is an arthropod-borne orthoflavivirus primarily transmitted by Culex mosquitoes, with humans and other mammals serving as incidental dead-end hosts. Since its introduction into the United States in 1999, WNV has become established across the contiguous states, but the genetic origins and transmission dynamics of strains circulating in Southern Nevada remain poorly characterized. This study generated whole-genome sequences from 70 WNV-positive mosquito pools collected by the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) between 2020 and 2024 to investigate the genetic diversity, evolutionary relationships, and putative introduction patterns of WNV in the Las Vegas Valley. RNA extracts from RTqPCR-positive pools were subjected to cDNA synthesis, nested tiled-amplicon PCR, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION sequencing, followed by read filtering, reference-guided consensus assembly, and phylogenetic analysis using maximum-likelihood methods. All 70 assemblies met a coding-complete threshold across the ~11 kb genome, with median coverage exceeding the minimum depth for reliable consensus calling (total of 16.6 million sequencing reads generated, corresponding to 15.6 Gb of data). Southern Nevada genomes clustered within WNV lineage 1, forming several well-supported clades that intermingled with genomes from neighboring Western states, consistent with both repeated introductions and ongoing local circulation. Multiple distinct genetic clusters co-occurred across highly irrigated suburban ZIP codes with intense WNV activity, suggesting that urban water management and recreational landscapes may facilitate the co-circulation and persistence of diverse WNV lineages in this arid environment. These findings provide the first publicly described whole-genome dataset of WNV from Southern Nevada, establish a baseline for future genomic surveillance, and highlight the value of integrating routine mosquito monitoring with pathogen genomics to inform targeted vector control and public health decision-making in the Las Vegas Valley.
Keywords
arbovirus; mosquito; West nile virus; WNV
Disciplines
Epidemiology | Molecular Biology | Public Health
File Format
File Size
3500 KB
Degree Grantor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Language
English
Repository Citation
Tang, Austin J., "Genomic Insights Into the Molecular Epidemiology of West Nile Virus in Southern Nevada" (2026). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 5636.
https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations/5636
Rights
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