IDI La Crosse Virus Interest Group

January 12, 2026

The IDI La Crosse Virus (LACV) Interest Group held its kickoff meeting on January 12, 2026, convening Ohio State researchers with public health and clinical partners, including Nationwide Children’s Hospital Infectious Diseases, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), and collaborators from the University of Tennessee. Participation spanned multiple OSU colleges, reflecting a One Health approach that integrates mosquito ecology, virology, genomics, and clinical outcomes.

La Crosse virus (LACV), a mosquito transmitted virus, remains a leading cause of pediatric encephalitis after enteroviruses and can result in long term neurologic effects in children. Recent Ohio surveillance has documented an increase in reported human cases, though the true incidence of disease and the genomic diversity of circulating LACV lineages are not yet well defined.

"La Crosse Virus is a unique cause of pediatric encephalitis – one that frequently causes encephalitis-like symptoms at presentation, though also likely results in long-lasting and under-recognized neurobehavioral complications. Understanding the disease process requires expertise crossing multiple disciplinaries to better define the true disease burden in and among humans, risk factors for severe disease, and lastly the complex interplay between humans, virus, and ecosystem."

Christopher Ouellette, MD, physician, Infectious Diseases and Host Defense Program, Nationwide Children’s Hospital; and associate professor, Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine

This effort aligns with several IDI thematic programs and builds on OSU’s broader vector borne disease capabilities, including Buckeye Tick Test, IDI’s genomics and microbiology resources, and complementary research such as Dr. Megan Meuti’s NSF Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases–supported work on mosquito ecology.