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During a 1967 arbovirus survey of Utah's Great Basin. mosquitoes, collected by light traps in Cedar and adjacent Utah Valley, were pooled by species, and assayed by routine procedures in suckling mice and chick-embryo cell cultures. Viruses were identified by neutralization in suckling mice and complement-fixation tests. Culex tarsalis, Culex erythrothorax, Culiseta inornata, and Ades dorsalis constituted 91% of the total 18.878 mosquitoes collected. All 23 arbovirus isolates were from these four species. Eight Hart Park-like isolates were obtained only from C. tarsalis. The remaining 15 isolates were California encephalitis group viruses, seven from C. inornata, six from A. dorsalis. one from C. tarsalis, and one from C. erythrothorax. The best vector of California encephalitis group virus was indicated to be C. inornata by the highest total infection ratio.

SummaryIn a survey for endemic diseases of the wildlife of West Central Utah, 9,100 serum samples were examined for the presence of complement fixing antibodies against 4 arboviruses; eastern (EEE), western (WEE), Venezuelan (VEE) and St. Louis (SLE) equine encephalomyelitis. Antibody titers of 1:16 or greater, with no cross reaction evident, were found in 6 specimens from 4 animal species against EEE, 57 from 9 species against VEE and 29 from 7 species and 89 from 10 species against WEE and SLE respectively. In addition to these reactors, 162 other serum samples were found to be positive with two or more of these arbo-virus antigens. Only WEE and SLE are known to be present in this region based upon known outbreaks and previous studies of others.We express gratitude to Peter Olsen and Everett Morse for collecting and processing the samples and to Doris Dickson for technical assistance.