The European subtype of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV-Eur; species Orthoflavivirus encephalitidis, family Flaviviridae) was the only tick-borne flavivirus present in central Europe known to cause neurologic disease in humans and several animal species. Here, we report a tick-borne flavivirus isolated from Alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra) with encephalitis and attached ticks, present over a wide area in the Alps. Cases were detected in 2017 in Salzburg, Austria, and 2023 in Lombardy and Piedmont, Italy. The virus strains exhibit 94.8-97.3% nucleotide identities to each other and are more closely related to Louping ill viruses (LIV; Orthoflavivirus loupingi; 90-92% identities) than to TBEV-Eur (less than 88%). The chamois-derived virus strains, tentatively termed "Alpine chamois encephalitis virus", form a well-supported independent genetic clade with Spanish goat encephalitis virus, clearly separated from other LIV. This supports its designation as a new virus subtype with the proposed shared taxonomic name "Spanish goat and Alpine chamois encephalitis virus subtype" within the species Orthoflavivirus loupingi. The zoonotic potential of this newly identified virus subtype as well as its host range in other animal species including farm animals needs to be further investigated.
- Klíčová slova
- Alpine chamois, Flaviviridae, Ixodes ricinus, Rupicapra rupicapra, Spanish goat encephalitis virus, encephalitis, flavivirus, louping ill virus, neurotropic, tick-borne encephalitis virus,
- MeSH
- Flavivirus izolace a purifikace klasifikace genetika MeSH
- fylogeneze * MeSH
- genom virový MeSH
- infekce viry z rodu Flavivirus veterinární virologie epidemiologie MeSH
- klíšťata virologie MeSH
- klíšťová encefalitida virologie MeSH
- nemoci koz virologie MeSH
- Rupicapra * virologie MeSH
- viry klíšťové encefalitidy * izolace a purifikace klasifikace genetika MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Itálie MeSH
- Rakousko MeSH
The emergence of West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) in addition to the autochthonous tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in Europe causes rising concern for public and animal health. The first equine case of West Nile neuroinvasive disease in Austria was diagnosed in 2016. As a consequence, a cross-sectional seroprevalence study was conducted in 2017, including 348 equids from eastern Austria. Serum samples reactive by ELISA for either flavivirus immunoglobulin G or M were further analyzed with the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT-80) to identify the specific etiologic agent. Neutralizing antibody prevalences excluding vaccinated equids were found to be 5.3% for WNV, 15.5% for TBEV, 0% for USUV, and 1.2% for WNV from autochthonous origin. Additionally, reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed to detect WNV nucleic acid in horse sera and was found to be negative in all cases. Risk factor analysis did not identify any factors significantly associated with seropositivity.
- Klíčová slova
- Austria, Usutu virus, West Nile virus, epidemiology, flavivirus, horses, seroprevalence, tick-borne encephalitis virus,
- MeSH
- endemické nemoci veterinární MeSH
- Equidae virologie MeSH
- Flavivirus imunologie MeSH
- infekce viry z rodu Flavivirus epidemiologie veterinární MeSH
- klíšťová encefalitida epidemiologie veterinární MeSH
- koně MeSH
- nemoci koní epidemiologie MeSH
- protilátky virové krev MeSH
- průřezové studie MeSH
- rizikové faktory MeSH
- séroepidemiologické studie MeSH
- virus západního Nilu imunologie MeSH
- viry klíšťové encefalitidy imunologie MeSH
- západonilská horečka epidemiologie veterinární MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Rakousko epidemiologie MeSH
- Názvy látek
- protilátky virové MeSH
Monitoring infectious diseases is a crucial part of preventive veterinary medicine in zoological collections. This zoo environment contains a great variety of animal species that are in contact with wildlife species as a potential source of infectious diseases. Wild birds may be a source of West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu (USUV) virus, which are both emerging pathogens of rising concern. The aim of this study was to use zoo animals as sentinels for the early detection of WNV and USUV in Slovenia. In total, 501 sera from 261 animals of 84 animal species (including birds, rodents, lagomorphs, carnivores, ungulates, reptiles, equids, and primates) collected for 17 years (2002-2018) were tested for antibodies to WNV and USUV. Antibodies to WNV were detected by indirect immunofluorescence tests in 16 (6.1%) of 261 animals representing 10 species, which were sampled prior to the first active cases of WNV described in 2018 in Slovenia in humans, a horse, and a hooded crow (Corvus cornix). Antibodies to USUV were detected in 14 out of 261 animals tested (5.4%) that were positive prior to the first positive cases of USUV infection in common blackbirds (Turdus merula) in Slovenia. The study illustrates the value of zoological collections as a predictor of future emerging diseases.
- Klíčová slova
- Usutu virus epidemiology, West Nile virus, biosurveillance, infectious diseases, zoo environment,
- MeSH
- Flavivirus imunologie MeSH
- infekce viry z rodu Flavivirus krev diagnóza epidemiologie imunologie MeSH
- neutralizující protilátky krev MeSH
- protilátky virové krev MeSH
- virus západního Nilu imunologie MeSH
- západonilská horečka krev diagnóza epidemiologie imunologie MeSH
- zvířata v ZOO klasifikace virologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Slovinsko epidemiologie MeSH
- Názvy látek
- neutralizující protilátky MeSH
- protilátky virové MeSH
Monitoring West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) activity now has the highest priority among mosquito-borne pathogenic viruses circulating in the European Union. This study documents a first time detection and the co-circulation of WNV lineage-2 (with the minimal prevalence of 0.46%) and USUV clade Europe 2 (with the minimal prevalence of 0.25%) in mosquitoes from the same habitat of south-western Slovakia and underlines necessity to perform rigorous surveillance in birds, mosquitoes, horses and humans in that country.
- Klíčová slova
- Culex spp., Usutu virus, West Nile fever, West Nile virus, mosquitoes, surveillance,
- MeSH
- Culex virologie MeSH
- Culicidae virologie MeSH
- ekosystém MeSH
- Flavivirus genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- infekce viry z rodu Flavivirus epidemiologie veterinární MeSH
- komáří přenašeči virologie MeSH
- koně virologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- prevalence MeSH
- ptáci virologie MeSH
- veřejné zdravotnictví MeSH
- virus západního Nilu genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- západonilská horečka epidemiologie veterinární MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Slovenská republika epidemiologie MeSH
BACKGROUND: Mosquito-borne flaviviruses are a major public health threat in many countries worldwide. In Central Europe, West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV), both belonging to the Japanese encephalitis virus group (Flaviviridae) have emerged in the last decennium. Surveillance of mosquito vectors for arboviruses is a sensitive tool to evaluate virus circulation and consequently to estimate the public health risk. METHODS: Mosquitoes (Culicidae) were collected at South-Moravian (Czech Republic) fishponds between 2010 and 2014. A total of 61,770 female Culex modestus Ficalbi mosquitoes, pooled to 1,243 samples, were examined for flaviviruses by RT-PCR. RESULTS: One pool proved positive for USUV RNA. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that this Czech USUV strain is closely related to Austrian and other Central European strains of the virus. In addition, nine strains of WNV lineage 2 were detected in Cx. modestus collected in the same reed bed ecosystem. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first detection of USUV in Cx. modestus. The results indicate that USUV and WNV may co-circulate in a sylvatic cycle in the same habitat, characterised by the presence of water birds and Cx. modestus mosquitoes, serving as hosts and vectors, respectively, for both viruses.
- MeSH
- arboviry genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- Culex virologie MeSH
- Culicidae virologie MeSH
- ekosystém MeSH
- encefalitida přenášená členovci epidemiologie MeSH
- epidemiologické monitorování MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- hmyz - vektory virologie MeSH
- infekce viry z rodu Flavivirus epidemiologie MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
- ptáci MeSH
- sekvence nukleotidů MeSH
- sekvenční analýza DNA MeSH
- virus západního Nilu genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- viry japonské encefalitidy genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- západonilská horečka epidemiologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Evropa epidemiologie MeSH
The central European lineage of Usutu virus was isolated from a blackbird (Turdus merula), which was found dead in the city of Brno, Czech Republic, in 2011. The virus RNA was detected in two other dead blackbirds in Brno during 2012.
- Klíčová slova
- Czechland, Turdus merula, Usutu virus, blackbird,
- MeSH
- analýza přežití MeSH
- demografie MeSH
- DNA primery genetika MeSH
- Flavivirus genetika izolace a purifikace MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- infekce viry z rodu Flavivirus epidemiologie veterinární MeSH
- molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
- mozek virologie MeSH
- myši MeSH
- nemoci ptáků epidemiologie virologie MeSH
- Passeriformes virologie MeSH
- polymerázová řetězová reakce s reverzní transkripcí veterinární MeSH
- sekvence nukleotidů MeSH
- sekvenční analýza DNA MeSH
- shluková analýza MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- myši MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Česká republika epidemiologie MeSH
- Názvy látek
- DNA primery MeSH
