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Krambrich J, Bole-Feysot E, Höller P, Lundkvist Å, Hesson JC. Vector competence of Swedish Culex pipiens mosquitoes for Usutu virus. One Health 2024; 18:100707. [PMID: 38500563 PMCID: PMC10945277 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2024.100707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging mosquito-borne flavivirus with increasing prevalence in Europe. Understanding the role of mosquito species in USUV transmission is crucial for predicting and controlling potential outbreaks. This study aimed to assess the vector competence of Swedish Culex pipiens for USUV. The mosquitoes were orally infected with an Italian strain of USUV (Bologna 2009) and infection rates (IR), dissemination rates (DR), and transmission rates (TR) were evaluated over 7 to 28 days post-infection. The study revealed that Swedish Cx. pipiens are susceptible to USUV infection, with a gradual decrease in IR over time. However, the percentage of mosquitoes with the ability to transmit the virus remained consistent across all time points, indicating a relatively short extrinsic incubation period. Overall, this research highlights the potential of Swedish Cx. pipiens as vectors for USUV and emphasizes the importance of surveillance and monitoring to prevent future outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Krambrich
- Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Emma Bole-Feysot
- Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Patrick Höller
- Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Åke Lundkvist
- Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jenny C. Hesson
- Zoonosis Science Center, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Biologisk Myggkontroll, Nedre Dalälvens Utvecklings AB, Gysinge, Sweden
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Calzolari M, Callegari E, Grisendi A, Munari M, Russo S, Sgura D, Giannini A, Dalmonte G, Scremin M, Dottori M. Arbovirus screening of mosquitoes collected in 2022 in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, with the implementation of a real-time PCR for the detection of Tahyna virus. One Health 2024; 18:100670. [PMID: 38274566 PMCID: PMC10809124 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Several Arboviruses (Arthropod-borne virus) are a concrete health risk. While some arboviruses, such as the West Nile virus (WNV) and the Usutu virus (USUV) are actively surveyed, others are neglected, including the Tahyna virus (TAHV). In this work, we tested - searching for all the three viruses - 37,995 mosquitoes collected in 95 attractive traps, baited by carbon dioxide, distributed in the lowlands of Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, between 19 July and 12 August 2022. Among the 668 pools obtained, WNV was detected in 45 pools of Culex (Cx.) pipiens and USUV was recorded in 24 pools of the same mosquito; ten of these Cx. pipiens pools tested positive for both WNV and USUV. Interestingly, we recorded a significant circulation of both WNV lineage 1 (WNV-L1) and lineage 2 (WNV-L2): WNV-L1 strains were detected in 40 pools, WNV-L2 strains in three pools and both lineages were detected in two pools. TAHV was detected in 8 different species of mosquitoes in a total of 37 pools: Aedes (Ae.) caspius (25), Ae. albopictus (5), Ae. vexans (3), Cx. pipiens (2), Ae. cinereus (1) and Anopheles maculipennis sl (1). The significant number of Ae. caspius-pools tested positive and the estimated viral load suggest that this mosquito is the principal vector in the surveyed area. The potential involvement of other mosquito species in the TAHV cycle could usefully be the subject of further experimental investigation. The results obtained demonstrate that, with adequate sampling effort, entomological surveillance is able to detect arboviruses circulating in a given area. Further efforts must be made to better characterise the TAHV cycle in the surveyed area and to define health risk linked to this virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Calzolari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, via Bianchi, 9-25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Emanuele Callegari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, via Bianchi, 9-25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Annalisa Grisendi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, via Bianchi, 9-25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Martina Munari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, via Bianchi, 9-25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Simone Russo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, via Bianchi, 9-25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Danilo Sgura
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, via Bianchi, 9-25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonio Giannini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, via Bianchi, 9-25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Gastone Dalmonte
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, via Bianchi, 9-25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Mara Scremin
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, via Bianchi, 9-25124 Brescia, Italy
| | - Michele Dottori
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini”, via Bianchi, 9-25124 Brescia, Italy
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Žlabravec Z, Kvapil P, Slavec B, Zorman Rojs O, Švara T, Račnik J. Herpesvirus and Subsequent Usutu Virus Infection in a Great Grey Owl ( Strix nebulosa) at the Ljubljana Zoo, Slovenia. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1200. [PMID: 38672348 DOI: 10.3390/ani14081200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Herpesvirus (HV) has been known to cause disease in owls, with various clinical signs and outcomes for the last several decades. The HV DNA polymerase gene was detected in oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs of a male great grey owl (Strix nebulosa) in a zoological collection in Ljubljana, Slovenia. In the following 4 months, despite continuous HV detection in swabs, no clinical signs with a clear link to HV disease were observed. Hepatoprotective and immunostimulant therapies applied during this period did not prevent HV shedding. Therefore, peroral antiviral therapy with acyclovir (150 mg/kg q24 h for seven days) was performed, and the owl tested negative at the next sampling and remained negative for the next 8 months. After that, the owl again tested positive for HV presence, and the same protocol with antiviral therapy was performed. After 3 weeks with a negative test for HV presence, without any clinical signs of illness, the owl suddenly died because of Usutu virus (USUV) infection. Among all the owls at the zoo, interestingly, only the HV-positive great grey owl died because of USUV infection. The USUV sequence detected and obtained in this study clusters together with other Europe 2 sequences detected in neighboring countries. Our study shows the potential of acyclovir therapy in the prevention of herpesvirus shedding and, moreover, lowering the possibility for spreading HV to other owls and birds. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of HV presence and USUV infection in a great grey owl in Slovenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoran Žlabravec
- Institute for Poultry, Birds, Small Mammals, and Reptiles, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Pavel Kvapil
- Veterinary Department, Ljubljana Zoo, Večna Pot 70, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Brigita Slavec
- Institute for Poultry, Birds, Small Mammals, and Reptiles, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Olga Zorman Rojs
- Institute for Poultry, Birds, Small Mammals, and Reptiles, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tanja Švara
- Institute of Pathology, Wild Animals, Fish and Bees, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jožko Račnik
- Institute for Poultry, Birds, Small Mammals, and Reptiles, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Dimas Martins A, Roberts M, Ten Bosch Q, Heesterbeek H. Indirect interaction between an endemic and an invading pathogen: A case study of Plasmodium and Usutu virus dynamics in a shared bird host population. Theor Popul Biol 2024; 157:118-128. [PMID: 38626854 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2024.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Infectious disease agents can influence each other's dynamics in shared host populations. We consider such influence for two mosquito-borne infections where one pathogen is endemic at the time that a second pathogen invades. We regard a setting where the vector has a bias towards biting host individuals infected with the endemic pathogen and where there is a cost to co-infected hosts. As a motivating case study, we regard Plasmodium spp., that cause avian malaria, as the endemic pathogen, and Usutu virus (USUV) as the invading pathogen. Hosts with malaria attract more mosquitoes compared to susceptible hosts, a phenomenon named vector bias. The possible trade-off between the vector-bias effect and the co-infection mortality is studied using a compartmental epidemic model. We focus first on the basic reproduction number R0 for Usutu virus invading into a malaria-endemic population, and then explore the long-term dynamics of both pathogens once Usutu virus has become established. We find that the vector bias facilitates the introduction of malaria into a susceptible population, as well as the introduction of Usutu in a malaria-endemic population. In the long term, however, both a vector bias and co-infection mortality lead to a decrease in the number of individuals infected with either pathogen, suggesting that avian malaria is unlikely to be a promoter of Usutu invasion. This proposed approach is general and allows for new insights into other negative associations between endemic and invading vector-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Afonso Dimas Martins
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Mick Roberts
- New Zealand Institute for Advanced Study and the Infectious Disease Research Centre, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Quirine Ten Bosch
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hans Heesterbeek
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Krol L, Remmerswaal L, Groen M, van der Beek JG, Sikkema RS, Dellar M, van Bodegom PM, Geerling GW, Schrama M. Landscape level associations between birds, mosquitoes and microclimates: possible consequences for disease transmission? Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:156. [PMID: 38532512 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06239-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mosquito-borne diseases are on the rise. While climatic factors have been linked to disease occurrences, they do not explain the non-random spatial distribution in disease outbreaks. Landscape-related factors, such as vegetation structure, likely play a crucial but hitherto unquantified role. METHODS We explored how three critically important factors that are associated with mosquito-borne disease outbreaks: microclimate, mosquito abundance and bird communities, vary at the landscape scale. We compared the co-occurrence of these three factors in two contrasting habitat types (forest versus grassland) across five rural locations in the central part of the Netherlands between June and September 2021. RESULTS Our results show that forest patches provide a more sheltered microclimate, and a higher overall abundance of birds. When accounting for differences in landscape characteristics, we also observed that the number of mosquitoes was higher in isolated forest patches. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that, at the landscape scale, variation in tree cover coincides with suitable microclimate and high Culex pipiens and bird abundance. Overall, these factors can help understand the non-random spatial distribution of mosquito-borne disease outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louie Krol
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Deltares, Daltonlaan 600, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Laure Remmerswaal
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marvin Groen
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jordy G van der Beek
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Reina S Sikkema
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martha Dellar
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Deltares, Daltonlaan 600, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Peter M van Bodegom
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gertjan W Geerling
- Deltares, Daltonlaan 600, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Schrama
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Crivei LA, Vata A, Teodor D, Porea D, Cozma AP, Anita A, Oslobanu LE, Morosan S, Savuta G. An Assessment of West Nile and Usutu Viruses' Seroprevalence in Hospitalized Patients: A Preliminary Study on Flavivirus Exposure in Eastern Romania. Pathogens 2024; 13:133. [PMID: 38392871 PMCID: PMC10892458 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13020133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
WNV and USUV are closely related epornitic flaviviruses transmitted by Culex mosquitoes which can cause febrile and neurodegenerative disease in humans. The impact of both viruses on public health has increased in the recent decades. AIM The aim of the study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of WNV and USUV in hospitalized patients from eastern Romania who did not show symptoms corresponding to the case definition. METHODS Human blood samples from the hospitalized patients were collected in 2015 and from April to September 2019 in Iasi County, Romania. The samples were screened by ELISA for anti-WNV IgG, IgM, and anti-USUV IgG antibodies. RESULTS A cumulative seroprevalence of 3.4% was recorded for anti-WNV IgG antibodies and 9.1% for anti-WNV IgM. No sample was positive for anti-USUV antibodies. CONCLUSION The cumulative seroprevalence observed provides support for the consideration of WNV as being endemic in the east of Romania. The absence of anti-USUV antibodies may be related to cross-reactivity and cohort size, thus, USUV should be considered in clinical practice and become an objective for active surveillance in Romania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciana Alexandra Crivei
- Regional Center of Advanced Research for Emerging Diseases, Zoonoses and Food Safety, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iași University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iași, Romania; (D.P.); (A.A.); (L.E.O.); (G.S.)
| | - Andrei Vata
- “Sf. Parascheva” Infectious Diseases Hospital of Iasi, 700490 Iasi, Romania; (A.V.); (D.T.)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iasi, 700490 Iași, Romania
| | - Danut Teodor
- “Sf. Parascheva” Infectious Diseases Hospital of Iasi, 700490 Iasi, Romania; (A.V.); (D.T.)
| | - Daniela Porea
- Regional Center of Advanced Research for Emerging Diseases, Zoonoses and Food Safety, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iași University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iași, Romania; (D.P.); (A.A.); (L.E.O.); (G.S.)
- Laboratories and Research Stations Department, Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development, 820112 Tulcea, Romania
| | - Andreea Paula Cozma
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iași University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iași, Romania; (A.P.C.); (S.M.)
| | - Adriana Anita
- Regional Center of Advanced Research for Emerging Diseases, Zoonoses and Food Safety, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iași University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iași, Romania; (D.P.); (A.A.); (L.E.O.); (G.S.)
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iași University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iași, Romania; (A.P.C.); (S.M.)
| | - Luanda Elena Oslobanu
- Regional Center of Advanced Research for Emerging Diseases, Zoonoses and Food Safety, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iași University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iași, Romania; (D.P.); (A.A.); (L.E.O.); (G.S.)
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iași University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iași, Romania; (A.P.C.); (S.M.)
| | - Serban Morosan
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iași University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iași, Romania; (A.P.C.); (S.M.)
- Faculté de Médecine, Sorbonne Université, UMS 28, Inserm, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Gheorghe Savuta
- Regional Center of Advanced Research for Emerging Diseases, Zoonoses and Food Safety, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iași University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iași, Romania; (D.P.); (A.A.); (L.E.O.); (G.S.)
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iași University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iași, Romania; (A.P.C.); (S.M.)
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Vouillon A, Barthelemy J, Lebeau L, Nisole S, Savini G, Lévêque N, Simonin Y, Garcia M, Bodet C. Skin tropism during Usutu virus and West Nile virus infection: an amplifying and immunological role. J Virol 2024; 98:e0183023. [PMID: 38088560 PMCID: PMC10805065 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01830-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Usutu virus (USUV) and West Nile virus (WNV) are closely related emerging arboviruses belonging to the Flavivirus genus and posing global public health concerns. Although human infection by these viruses is mainly asymptomatic, both have been associated with neurological disorders such as encephalitis and meningoencephalitis. Since USUV and WNV are transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, the skin represents the initial site of virus inoculation and provides the first line of host defense. Although some data on the early stages of WNV skin infection are available, very little is known about USUV. Herein, USUV-skin resident cell interactions were characterized. Using primary human keratinocytes and fibroblasts, an early replication of USUV during the first 24 hours was shown in both skin cells. In human skin explants, a high viral tropism for keratinocytes was observed. USUV infection of these models induced type I and III interferon responses associated with upregulated expression of various interferon-stimulated genes as well as pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine genes. Among the four USUV lineages studied, the Europe 2 strain replicated more efficiently in skin cells and induced a higher innate immune response. In vivo, USUV and WNV disseminated quickly from the inoculation site to distal cutaneous tissues. In addition, viral replication and persistence in skin cells were associated with an antiviral response. Taken together, these results provide a better understanding of the pathophysiology of the early steps of USUV infection and suggest that the skin constitutes a major amplifying organ for USUV and WNV infection.IMPORTANCEUsutu virus (USUV) and West Nile virus (WNV) are closely related emerging Flaviviruses transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. Since they are directly inoculated within the upper skin layers, the interactions between the virus and skin cells are critical in the pathophysiology of USUV and WNV infection. Here, during the early steps of infection, we showed that USUV can efficiently infect two human resident skin cell types at the inoculation site: the epidermal keratinocytes and the dermal fibroblasts, leading to the induction of an antiviral innate immune response. Moreover, following cutaneous inoculation, we demonstrated that both viruses can rapidly spread, replicate, and persist in all distal cutaneous tissues in mice, a phenomenon associated with a generalized skin inflammatory response. These results highlight the key amplifying and immunological role of the skin during USUV and WNV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axelle Vouillon
- Laboratoire Inflammation Tissus Epithéliaux et Cytokines (LITEC), Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Jonathan Barthelemy
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections (PCCEI), University of Montpellier, INSERM, EFS, Montpellier, France
| | - Lucie Lebeau
- Service d'Anatomie et Cytologie Pathologiques, CHU de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Sébastien Nisole
- Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Giovanni Savini
- Department of Virology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZS-Teramo), Teramo, Italy
| | - Nicolas Lévêque
- Laboratoire Inflammation Tissus Epithéliaux et Cytokines (LITEC), Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
- Laboratoire de Virologie et Mycobactériologie, CHU de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Yannick Simonin
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections (PCCEI), University of Montpellier, INSERM, EFS, Montpellier, France
| | - Magali Garcia
- Laboratoire Inflammation Tissus Epithéliaux et Cytokines (LITEC), Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
- Laboratoire de Virologie et Mycobactériologie, CHU de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Charles Bodet
- Laboratoire Inflammation Tissus Epithéliaux et Cytokines (LITEC), Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
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Constant O, Maarifi G, Barthelemy J, Martin MF, Tinto B, Savini G, Van de Perre P, Nisole S, Simonin Y, Salinas S. Differential effects of Usutu and West Nile viruses on neuroinflammation, immune cell recruitment and blood-brain barrier integrity. Emerg Microbes Infect 2023; 12:2156815. [PMID: 36495563 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2156815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Usutu (USUV) and West Nile (WNV) viruses are two closely related Flavivirus belonging to Japanese encephalitis virus serogroup. Evidence of increased circulation of these two arboviruses now exist in Europe. Neurological disorders are reported in humans mainly for WNV, despite the fact that the interaction and effects of viral infections on the neurovasculature are poorly described, notably for USUV. Using a human in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) and a mouse model, this study characterizes and compares the cerebral endothelial cell permissiveness, innate immunity and inflammatory responses and immune cell recruitment during infection by USUV and WNV. Both viruses are able to infect and cross the human BBB but with different consequences. We observed that WNV infects BBB cells resulting in significant endothelium impairment, potent neuroinflammation and immune cell recruitment, in agreement with previous studies. USUV, despite being able to infect BBB cells with higher replication rate than WNV, does not strongly affect endothelium integrity. Importantly, USUV also induces neuroinflammation, immune cell recruitment such as T lymphocytes, monocytes and dendritic cells (DCs) and was able to infect dendritic cells (DCs) more efficiently compared to WNV, with greater propensity for BBB recruitment. DCs may have differential roles for neuroinvasion of the two related viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orianne Constant
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, INSERM, University of Montpellier, Etablissement Français du Sang, Montpellier, France
| | - Ghizlane Maarifi
- CNRS, Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Jonathan Barthelemy
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, INSERM, University of Montpellier, Etablissement Français du Sang, Montpellier, France
| | - Marie-France Martin
- CNRS, Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Bachirou Tinto
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, INSERM, University of Montpellier, Etablissement Français du Sang, Montpellier, France
| | - Giovanni Savini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise (IZS-Teramo), Teramo, Italy
| | - Philippe Van de Perre
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, INSERM, University of Montpellier, Etablissement Français du Sang, Montpellier, France.,INSERM, Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, University of Montpellier, Etablissement Français du Sang, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Sébastien Nisole
- CNRS, Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Yannick Simonin
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, INSERM, University of Montpellier, Etablissement Français du Sang, Montpellier, France
| | - Sara Salinas
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, INSERM, University of Montpellier, Etablissement Français du Sang, Montpellier, France
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Krol L, Blom R, Dellar M, van der Beek JG, Stroo AC, van Bodegom PM, Geerling GW, Koenraadt CJ, Schrama M. Interactive effects of climate, land use and soil type on Culex pipiens/torrentium abundance. One Health 2023; 17:100589. [PMID: 37415720 PMCID: PMC10320611 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The incidence and risk of mosquito-borne disease outbreaks in Northwestern Europe has increased over the last few decades. Understanding the underlying environmental drivers of mosquito population dynamics helps to adequately assess mosquito-borne disease risk. While previous studies have focussed primarily on the effects of climatic conditions (i.e., temperature and precipitation) and/or local environmental conditions individually, it remains unclear how climatic conditions interact with local environmental factors such as land use and soil type, and how these subsequently affect mosquito abundance. Here, we set out to study the interactive effects of land use, soil type and climatic conditions on the abundance of Culex pipiens/torrentium, highly abundant vectors of West Nile virus and Usutu virus. Mosquitoes were sampled at 14 sites throughout the Netherlands. At each site, weekly mosquito collections were carried out between early July and mid-October 2020 and 2021. To assess the effect of the aforementioned environmental factors, we performed a series of generalized linear mixed models and non-parametric statistical tests. Our results show that mosquito abundance and species richness consistently differ among land use- and soil types, with peri-urban areas with peat/clay soils having the highest Cx. pipiens/torrentium abundance and sandy rural areas having the lowest. Furthermore, we observed differences in precipitation-mediated effects on Cx. pipiens/torrentium abundance between (peri-)urban and other land uses and soil types. In contrast, effects of temperature on Cx. pipiens/torrentium abundance remain similar between different land use and soil types. Our study highlights the importance of both land use and soil type in conjunction with climatic conditions for understanding mosquito abundances. Particularly in relation to rainfall events, land use and soil type has a marked effect on mosquito abundance. These findings underscore the importance of local environmental parameters for studies focusing on predicting or mitigating disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louie Krol
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, the Netherlands
- Deltares, Daltonlaan 600, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Rody Blom
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Martha Dellar
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, the Netherlands
- Deltares, Daltonlaan 600, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Arjan C.J. Stroo
- Centre for Monitoring of Vectors, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Gertjan W. Geerling
- Deltares, Daltonlaan 600, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Maarten Schrama
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, the Netherlands
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Rau J, Köchling K, Schäfer M, Tews BA, Wylezich C, Schaub GA, Werner D, Kampen H. Viral RNA in Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) Collected between 2019 and 2021 in Germany. Viruses 2023; 15:2298. [PMID: 38140539 PMCID: PMC10746995 DOI: 10.3390/v15122298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to globalisation and climate change, mosquito-borne pathogens are emerging in new areas on all continents, including Europe, which has recently faced outbreaks of dengue, chikungunya and West Nile fever. The present study complements previous investigations to evaluate the circulation of mosquito-borne viruses in Germany, with the aim of identifying potential vector species and risk areas. Mosquitoes collected from 2019 to 2021 and identified to species or species group level were screened for viruses of the families Flaviviridae, Peribunyaviridae and the genus Alphavirus of the family Togaviridae. In total, 22,528 mosquitoes were examined, thus providing the most comprehensive study on West Nile virus (WNV) circulation so far in the German mosquito population. Usutu virus (USUV) RNA was detected in six samples, Sindbis virus (SINV) RNA in 21 samples and WNV RNA in 11 samples. Samples containing RNA of USUV and WNV consisted of mosquitoes collected in the East German federal states of Brandenburg, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, while samples with RNA of SINV originated from more widespread locations. Although minimum infection rates have remained relatively low, the intensity of virus circulation appears to be increasing compared to previous studies. Continuous mosquito screening contributes to the early detection of the introduction and spread of mosquito-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Rau
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald, Germany; (M.S.); (B.A.T.); (C.W.); (H.K.)
| | - Katharina Köchling
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald, Germany; (M.S.); (B.A.T.); (C.W.); (H.K.)
| | - Mandy Schäfer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald, Germany; (M.S.); (B.A.T.); (C.W.); (H.K.)
| | - Birke A. Tews
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald, Germany; (M.S.); (B.A.T.); (C.W.); (H.K.)
| | - Claudia Wylezich
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald, Germany; (M.S.); (B.A.T.); (C.W.); (H.K.)
| | - Günter A. Schaub
- Zoology/Parasitology Department, Ruhr-University, Universitätsstr. 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany;
| | - Doreen Werner
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, Eberswalder Str. 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany;
| | - Helge Kampen
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald, Germany; (M.S.); (B.A.T.); (C.W.); (H.K.)
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Rakotomalala FA, Bouillin J, Randriarimanana SD, Thaurignac G, Maharavo L, Raberahona M, Razafindrakoto L, Rasoanarivo J, Rakoto-Andrianarivelo M, Rakoto DAD, Babin FX, Rasamoelina T, Delaporte E, Samison LH, Peeters M, Nerrienet E, Ayouba A. High Seroprevalence of IgG Antibodies to Multiple Arboviruses in People Living with HIV (PLWHIV) in Madagascar. Viruses 2023; 15:2258. [PMID: 38005934 PMCID: PMC10674502 DOI: 10.3390/v15112258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
To estimate the prevalence of IgG antibodies against six arboviruses in people living with HIV-1 (PLWHIV) in Madagascar, we tested samples collected between January 2018 and June 2021. We used a Luminex-based serological assay to detect IgG antibodies against antigens from Dengue virus serotypes 1-4 (DENV1-4), Zika virus (ZIKV), West Nile virus (WNV), Usutu virus (USUV), Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), and O'nyong nyong virus (ONNV). Of the 1036 samples tested, IgG antibody prevalence was highest for ONNV (28.4%), CHIKV (26.7%), WNV-NS1 (27.1%), DENV1 (12.4%), USUV (9.9%), and DENV3 (8.9%). ZIKV (4.9%), DENV2 (4.6%), WNV-D3 (5.1%), and DENV4 (1.4%) were lower. These rates varied by province of origin, with the highest rates observed in Toamasina, on the eastern coast (50.5% and 56.8%, for CHIKV and ONNV, respectively). The seroprevalence increased with age for DENV1 and 3 (p = 0.006 and 0.038, respectively) and WNV DIII (p = 0.041). The prevalence of IgG antibodies against any given arborvirus varied over the year and significantly correlated with rainfalls in the different areas (r = 0.61, p = 0.036). Finally, we found a significant correlation between the seroprevalence of antibodies against CHIKV and ONNV and the HIV-1 RNA plasma viral load. Thus, PLWHIV in Madagascar are highly exposed to various arboviruses. Further studies are needed to explain some of our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fetra Angelot Rakotomalala
- Centre d’Infectiologie Charles Mérieux, Université d’Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar; (F.A.R.); (S.D.R.); (L.M.); (M.R.-A.); (T.R.); (L.H.S.)
- TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France; (J.B.); (G.T.); (E.D.); (M.P.)
- Ecole Doctorale Sciences de la Vie et de l’Environnement, Université d’Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar;
| | - Julie Bouillin
- TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France; (J.B.); (G.T.); (E.D.); (M.P.)
| | - Santatriniaina Dauphin Randriarimanana
- Centre d’Infectiologie Charles Mérieux, Université d’Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar; (F.A.R.); (S.D.R.); (L.M.); (M.R.-A.); (T.R.); (L.H.S.)
| | - Guillaume Thaurignac
- TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France; (J.B.); (G.T.); (E.D.); (M.P.)
| | - Luca Maharavo
- Centre d’Infectiologie Charles Mérieux, Université d’Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar; (F.A.R.); (S.D.R.); (L.M.); (M.R.-A.); (T.R.); (L.H.S.)
- Ecole Doctorale Sciences de la Vie et de l’Environnement, Université d’Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar;
| | - Mihaja Raberahona
- Service des Maladies Infectieuses, Centre Hôspitalier Universitaire Joseph Raseta de Befelatanana, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar;
| | - Lucien Razafindrakoto
- Service de Pneumo-Phtisiologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Analakininina, Toamasina 501, Madagascar;
| | - Jasmina Rasoanarivo
- Secrétariat Exécutif du Comité National de la Lutte Contre le SIDA, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar;
| | - Mala Rakoto-Andrianarivelo
- Centre d’Infectiologie Charles Mérieux, Université d’Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar; (F.A.R.); (S.D.R.); (L.M.); (M.R.-A.); (T.R.); (L.H.S.)
| | - Danielle Aurore Doll Rakoto
- Ecole Doctorale Sciences de la Vie et de l’Environnement, Université d’Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar;
| | | | - Tahinamandranto Rasamoelina
- Centre d’Infectiologie Charles Mérieux, Université d’Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar; (F.A.R.); (S.D.R.); (L.M.); (M.R.-A.); (T.R.); (L.H.S.)
| | - Eric Delaporte
- TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France; (J.B.); (G.T.); (E.D.); (M.P.)
| | - Luc Hervé Samison
- Centre d’Infectiologie Charles Mérieux, Université d’Antananarivo, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar; (F.A.R.); (S.D.R.); (L.M.); (M.R.-A.); (T.R.); (L.H.S.)
| | - Martine Peeters
- TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France; (J.B.); (G.T.); (E.D.); (M.P.)
| | | | - Ahidjo Ayouba
- TransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 34394 Montpellier, France; (J.B.); (G.T.); (E.D.); (M.P.)
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12
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Körsten C, Reemtsma H, Ziegler U, Fischer S, Tews BA, Groschup MH, Silaghi C, Vasic A, Holicki CM. Cellular co-infections of West Nile virus and Usutu virus influence virus growth kinetics. Virol J 2023; 20:234. [PMID: 37833787 PMCID: PMC10576383 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-023-02206-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The mosquito-borne flaviviruses West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) pose a significant threat to the health of humans and animals. Both viruses co-circulate in numerous European countries including Germany. Due to their overlapping host and vector ranges, there is a high risk of co-infections. However, it is largely unknown if WNV and USUV interact and how this might influence their epidemiology. Therefore, in-vitro infection experiments in mammalian (Vero B4), goose (GN-R) and mosquito cell lines (C6/36, CT) were performed to investigate potential effects of co-infections in vectors and vertebrate hosts. The growth kinetics of German and other European WNV and USUV strains were determined and compared. Subsequently, simultaneous co-infections were performed with selected WNV and USUV strains. The results show that the growth of USUV was suppressed by WNV in all cell lines. This effect was independent of the virus lineage but depended on the set WNV titre. The replication of WNV also decreased in co-infection scenarios on vertebrate cells. Overall, co-infections might lead to a decreased growth of USUV in mosquitoes and of both viruses in vertebrate hosts. These interactions can strongly affect the epidemiology of USUV and WNV in areas where they co-circulate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christin Körsten
- Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Hannah Reemtsma
- Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Ute Ziegler
- Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Susanne Fischer
- Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Birke A Tews
- Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Martin H Groschup
- Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Cornelia Silaghi
- Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Ana Vasic
- Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- Scientific Institute of Veterinary Medicine of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Cora M Holicki
- Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
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Pozzetto B, Grard G, Durand G, Paty MC, Gallian P, Lucas-Samuel S, Diéterlé S, Fromage M, Durand M, Lepelletier D, Chidiac C, Hoen B, Nicolas de Lamballerie X. Arboviral Risk Associated with Solid Organ and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Grafts: The Prophylactic Answers Proposed by the French High Council of Public Health in a National Context. Viruses 2023; 15:1783. [PMID: 37766192 PMCID: PMC10536626 DOI: 10.3390/v15091783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Diseases caused by arboviruses are on the increase worldwide. In addition to arthropod bites, most arboviruses can be transmitted via accessory routes. Products of human origin (labile blood products, solid organs, hematopoietic stem cells, tissues) present a risk of contamination for the recipient if the donation is made when the donor is viremic. Mainland France and its overseas territories are exposed to a complex array of imported and endemic arboviruses, which differ according to their respective location. This narrative review describes the risks of acquiring certain arboviral diseases from human products, mainly solid organs and hematopoietic stem cells, in the French context. The main risks considered in this study are infections by West Nile virus, dengue virus, and tick-borne encephalitis virus. The ancillary risks represented by Usutu virus infection, chikungunya, and Zika are also addressed more briefly. For each disease, the guidelines issued by the French High Council of Public Health, which is responsible for mitigating the risks associated with products of human origin and for supporting public health policy decisions, are briefly outlined. This review highlights the need for a "One Health" approach and to standardize recommendations at the international level in areas with the same viral epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Pozzetto
- Haut Conseil de la Santé Publique, Ministère de la Santé et de la Prévention, 75007 Paris, France; (M.D.); (D.L.); (C.C.); (B.H.)
- GIMAP Team, CIRI-Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie, Université Jean Monnet de Saint-Etienne, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, U1111, CNRS, 42023 Saint-Etienne, France
- Department of Infectious Agents and Hygiene, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, 42055 Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Gilda Grard
- National Reference Center for Arboviruses, National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), 13005 Marseille, France; (G.G.); (G.D.); (X.N.d.L.)
- French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute (IRBA), Valérie-André, 91220 Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
| | - Guillaume Durand
- National Reference Center for Arboviruses, National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), 13005 Marseille, France; (G.G.); (G.D.); (X.N.d.L.)
- French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute (IRBA), Valérie-André, 91220 Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
| | - Marie-Claire Paty
- Santé Publique France, The French Public Health Agency, 94410 Saint-Maurice, France;
| | - Pierre Gallian
- Etablissement Français du Sang, 93218 Saint-Denis, France;
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ-IRD 190-Inserm 1207), 13385 Marseille, France
| | | | | | - Muriel Fromage
- Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de Santé (ANSM), 93200 Saint-Denis, France;
| | - Marc Durand
- Haut Conseil de la Santé Publique, Ministère de la Santé et de la Prévention, 75007 Paris, France; (M.D.); (D.L.); (C.C.); (B.H.)
| | - Didier Lepelletier
- Haut Conseil de la Santé Publique, Ministère de la Santé et de la Prévention, 75007 Paris, France; (M.D.); (D.L.); (C.C.); (B.H.)
| | - Christian Chidiac
- Haut Conseil de la Santé Publique, Ministère de la Santé et de la Prévention, 75007 Paris, France; (M.D.); (D.L.); (C.C.); (B.H.)
- Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University Hospital of Lyon, 69002 Lyon, France
| | - Bruno Hoen
- Haut Conseil de la Santé Publique, Ministère de la Santé et de la Prévention, 75007 Paris, France; (M.D.); (D.L.); (C.C.); (B.H.)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Nancy, 54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Xavier Nicolas de Lamballerie
- National Reference Center for Arboviruses, National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), 13005 Marseille, France; (G.G.); (G.D.); (X.N.d.L.)
- French Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute (IRBA), Valérie-André, 91220 Brétigny-sur-Orge, France
- Unité des Virus Émergents (UVE: Aix-Marseille Univ-IRD 190-Inserm 1207), 13385 Marseille, France
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Körsten C, Vasić A, AL-Hosary AA, Tews BA, Răileanu C, Silaghi C, Schäfer M. Excretion Dynamics of Arboviruses in Mosquitoes and the Potential Use in Vector Competence Studies and Arbovirus Surveillance. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:410. [PMID: 37624347 PMCID: PMC10459540 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8080410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The increasing threat of arboviruses such as West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) requires the fast and efficient surveillance of these viruses. The examination of mosquitoes takes up an important part; however, these investigations are usually very time-consuming. An alternative sample type for arbovirus surveillance might be mosquito excreta. In order to determine the excretion dynamics under laboratory conditions, laboratory colonies of Aedes vexans and Culex pipiens biotype molestus were infected with WNV, USUV or tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). After infection, the excreta were sampled and investigated for viral RNA. Excretion of viral RNA together with infectious blood meal could be detected up to five days after infection. Further excretion seemed to correlate with a disseminated infection in mosquitoes, at least after USUV infection. In addition, it could be determined that the amount of viral RNA in the excretions correlated positively with the viral load in the mosquito bodies. Overall, this study shows that the usage of mosquito excreta as a sample type for surveillance enables the detection of endemic viruses (WNV, USUV) as well as non-mosquito-borne viruses (TBEV). In addition, examination of viral shedding during vector competence studies can provide insights into the course of infection without sacrificing animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christin Körsten
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, 17493 Greifswald, Germany; (C.K.)
| | - Ana Vasić
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, 17493 Greifswald, Germany; (C.K.)
- Scientific Institute of Veterinary Medicine of Serbia, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Amira A. AL-Hosary
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, 17493 Greifswald, Germany; (C.K.)
- Department of Animal Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut 71526, Egypt
| | - Birke A. Tews
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, 17493 Greifswald, Germany; (C.K.)
| | - Cristian Răileanu
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, 17493 Greifswald, Germany; (C.K.)
| | - Cornelia Silaghi
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, 17493 Greifswald, Germany; (C.K.)
| | - Mandy Schäfer
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, 17493 Greifswald, Germany; (C.K.)
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15
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Angeloni G, Bertola M, Lazzaro E, Morini M, Masi G, Sinigaglia A, Trevisan M, Gossner CM, Haussig JM, Bakonyi T, Capelli G, Barzon L. Epidemiology, surveillance and diagnosis of Usutu virus infection in the EU/EEA, 2012 to 2021. Euro Surveill 2023; 28:2200929. [PMID: 37589592 PMCID: PMC10436690 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2023.28.33.2200929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundUsutu virus (USUV) is a flavivirus with an enzootic cycle between birds and mosquitoes; humans are incidental dead-end hosts. In Europe, the virus was first detected in Italy in 1996; since then, it has spread to many European countries.AimWe aimed to report on the epidemiology, surveillance, diagnosis and prevention of USUV infection in humans, mosquitoes and other animals in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) from 2012 to 2021.MethodsWe collected information through a literature review, an online survey and an expert meeting.ResultsEight countries reported USUV infection in humans (105 cases, including 12 [corrected] with neurological symptoms), 15 countries in birds and seven in mosquitoes. Infected animals were also found among pets, wild and zoo animals. Usutu virus was detected primarily in Culex pipiens but also in six other mosquito species. Detection of USUV infection in humans is notifiable only in Italy, where it is under surveillance since 2017 and now integrated with surveillance in animals in a One Health approach. Several countries include USUV infection in the differential diagnosis of viral encephalitis and arbovirus infections. Animal USUV infection is not notifiable in any EU/EEA country.ConclusionHuman USUV infections, mainly asymptomatic and, less frequently, with a febrile illness or a neuroinvasive disease, have been reported in several EU/EEA countries, where the virus is endemic. Climate and environmental changes are expected to affect the epidemiology of USUV. A One Health approach could improve the monitoring of its evolution in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Angeloni
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, Legnaro (Padua), Italy
- These authors contributed equally to the work and share first authorship
| | - Michela Bertola
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, Legnaro (Padua), Italy
- These authors contributed equally to the work and share first authorship
| | - Elena Lazzaro
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, Legnaro (Padua), Italy
| | - Matteo Morini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, Legnaro (Padua), Italy
| | - Giulia Masi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Via Gabelli 63, Padua (Padua), Italy
| | - Alessandro Sinigaglia
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Via Gabelli 63, Padua (Padua), Italy
| | - Marta Trevisan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Via Gabelli 63, Padua (Padua), Italy
| | - Céline M Gossner
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Solna, Sweden
| | - Joana M Haussig
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Solna, Sweden
| | - Tamas Bakonyi
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Solna, Sweden
| | - Gioia Capelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, Legnaro (Padua), Italy
- These authors contributed equally to the work and share last authorship
| | - Luisa Barzon
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Via Gabelli 63, Padua (Padua), Italy
- These authors contributed equally to the work and share last authorship
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16
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Reemtsma H, Holicki CM, Fast C, Bergmann F, Groschup MH, Ziegler U. A Prior Usutu Virus Infection Can Protect Geese from Severe West Nile Disease. Pathogens 2023; 12:959. [PMID: 37513806 PMCID: PMC10386565 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12070959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Usutu virus (USUV) and West Nile virus (WNV) are closely related pathogens circulating between mosquitoes and birds, but also infecting mammals as dead-end hosts. Both viruses share the same susceptible hosts, vectors, and even distribution areas in Central Europe. The aim of the study was, therefore, to understand their amplification potential and interference upon a successive infection. Two-week old geese were initially infected with an USUV isolate from Germany and with a German WNV isolate17 days later. The geese were susceptible to the USUV and the WNV infections, as evidenced by specific flavivirus antibodies in all of the birds. Furthermore, in half of the USUV-inoculated geese, USUV genomes were detected in the blood and swab samples 2-4 days post-infection. Additionally, most of the examined organs contained USUV genomes and showed signs of encephalitis and ganglioneuritis. Interestingly, upon a sequential infection with WNV, the genome copy numbers in all of the examined samples were significantly lower and less frequent than after a WNV mono-infection. Similarly, the histopathological lesions were less severe. Therefore, it can be concluded that a previous USUV infection can protect birds from clinical disease in a subsequent WNV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Reemtsma
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Cora M Holicki
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Christine Fast
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Felicitas Bergmann
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Martin H Groschup
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Ute Ziegler
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
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17
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Rivas J, Dubois A, Blanquer A, Gérardy M, Ziegler U, Groschup MH, Grobet L, Garigliany MM. Tendon-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (TDSCs) as an In Vitro Model for Virological Studies in Wild Birds. Viruses 2023; 15:1455. [PMID: 37515142 PMCID: PMC10383174 DOI: 10.3390/v15071455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of wild animals in research is complicated due to the capture and housing conditions, as well as to legal aspects, making it difficult to develop in vivo and in vitro models for the study of pathologies that affect these species. Here we validate an in vitro model of tendon-derived mesenchymal cells (TDSC) from Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula) cadaveric samples. Through the expression of surface markers and the ability to differentiate into multiple lineages, the nature of the cells was confirmed. We then evaluated Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) as an infection model for the Usutu Flavivirus. To this aim, blackbird TDSCs were compared to Vero E6 cells, commonly used in Flavivirus studies. Both cells showed permissiveness to USUV infection as confirmed by immunocytochemistry. Moreover, TDSCs exhibited replication kinetics similar to, although slightly lower than, Vero E6, confirming these cells as a pertinent study model for the study of the pathogenesis of USUV. In this work, we isolated and characterized tendon-derived mesenchymal stem cells, which represent an interesting and convenient in vitro model for the study of wildlife species in laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Rivas
- Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Laboratory of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Sart Tilman B43, B-4000 Liège, Belgium; (J.R.); (A.B.); (M.G.)
| | - Axel Dubois
- Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Laboratory of Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Sart Tilman B43, B-4000 Liège, Belgium; (A.D.); (L.G.)
| | - Aude Blanquer
- Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Laboratory of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Sart Tilman B43, B-4000 Liège, Belgium; (J.R.); (A.B.); (M.G.)
| | - Mazarine Gérardy
- Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Laboratory of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Sart Tilman B43, B-4000 Liège, Belgium; (J.R.); (A.B.); (M.G.)
| | - Ute Ziegler
- Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany; (U.Z.); (M.H.G.)
| | - Martin H. Groschup
- Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany; (U.Z.); (M.H.G.)
| | - Luc Grobet
- Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Laboratory of Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Sart Tilman B43, B-4000 Liège, Belgium; (A.D.); (L.G.)
| | - Mutien-Marie Garigliany
- Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Laboratory of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Sart Tilman B43, B-4000 Liège, Belgium; (J.R.); (A.B.); (M.G.)
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18
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de Bellegarde de Saint Lary C, Kasbergen LM, Bruijning-Verhagen PC, van der Jeugd H, Chandler F, Hogema BM, Zaaijer HL, van der Klis FR, Barzon L, de Bruin E, ten Bosch Q, Koopmans MP, Sikkema RS, Visser LG. Assessing West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) exposure in bird ringers in the Netherlands: a high-risk group for WNV and USUV infection? One Health 2023; 16:100533. [PMID: 37363259 PMCID: PMC10288042 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction In 2020, the first Dutch West Nile virus (WNV) infected birds were detected through risk-targeted surveillance of songbirds. Retrospective testing of patients with unexplained neurological disease revealed human WNV infections in July and August 2020. Bird ringers are highly exposed to mosquito bites and possibly avian excrements during ringing activities. This study therefore investigates whether bird ringers are at higher risk of exposure to WNV and Usutu virus (USUV). Methods Dutch bird ringers were asked to provide a single serum sample (May - September 2021) and to fill out a survey. Sera were screened by protein microarray for presence of specific IgG against WNV and USUV non-structural protein 1 (NS1), followed by focus reduction virus neutralization tests (FRNT). Healthcare workers (2009-2010), the national immunity cohort (2016-2017) and blood donors (2021) were used as control groups without this occupational exposure. Results The majority of the 157 participating bird ringers was male (132/157, 84%) and the median age was 62 years. Thirty-seven participants (37/157, 23.6%) showed WNV and USUV IgG microarray signals above background, compared to 6.4% (6/94) in the community cohort and 2.1% (2/96) in blood donors (p < 0.01). Two seroreactive bird ringers were confirmed WNV or USUV positive by FRNT. The majority of seroreactive bird ringers travelled to EU countries with reported WNV human cases (30/37, 81%) (p = 0.07). No difference was observed between bird ringers with and without previous yellow fever vaccination. Discussion The higher frequency of WNV and/or USUV IgG reactive bird ringers indicates increased flavivirus exposure compared to the general population, suggesting that individuals with high-exposure professions may be considered to complement existing surveillance systems. However, the complexity of serological interpretation in relation to location-specific exposure (including travel), and antibody cross-reactivity, remain a challenge when performing surveillance of emerging flaviviruses in low-prevalence settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara de Bellegarde de Saint Lary
- Department of Infectious Diseases, LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Julius Centre for Health Sciences and Primary Care, Department of Epidemiology, UMCU, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Henk van der Jeugd
- Vogeltrekstation, Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography, NIOO-KNAW, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Animal Ecology, NIOO-KNAW, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | - Luisa Barzon
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
- Microbiology and Virology Unit, Padova University Hospital, Padua, Italy
| | - Erwin de Bruin
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Quirine ten Bosch
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, WUR, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Reina S. Sikkema
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Vogeltrekstation, Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography, NIOO-KNAW, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Leo G. Visser
- Department of Infectious Diseases, LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands
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Sauer FG, Lange U, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Kiel E, Wiatrowska B, Myczko Ł, Lühken R. Overwintering Culex torrentium in abandoned animal burrows as a reservoir for arboviruses in Central Europe. One Health 2023; 16:100572. [PMID: 37363228 PMCID: PMC10288133 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Culex pipiens s.s./Culex torrentium belong to the most widespread mosquito taxa in Europe and are the main vectors of Sindbis, West Nile and Usutu virus. The adult overwintering females can act as reservoir for these arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), thus contributing to their local persistence when transmission cycles are interrupted during the winter. However, the main overwintering sites of Cx. torrentium are unknown. In a study from 2017, 3455 Cx. pipiens s.s./Cx. torrentium specimens were collected from abandoned animal burrows in Poznan, Poland. These specimens were retrospectively identified to species-level with a PCR assay, which revealed Cx. torrentium as dominant species (> 60%). Motivated by these results, we conducted a field study from February to July 2022 to systematically analyse the overwintering site patterns of Cx. pipiens s.s./Cx. torrentium. Mosquitoes were sampled using pipe traps in abandoned animal burrows (n = 20) and with aspirators in nearby anthropogenic overwintering sites (n = 23). All Cx. pipiens s.s./Cx. torrentium were screened for Flaviviridae RNA. In total, 4710 mosquitoes of five different taxa were collected from anthropogenic sites. 3977 of them were identified as Cx. p. pipiens/Cx. torrentium (Cx. p. pipiens: 85%, Cx torrentium: 1%, pools with both species: 14%). In contrast, only Cx. p. pipiens/Cx. torrentium (1688 specimens) were collected from animal burrows dominated by Cx. torrentium (52%), followed by pools with both species (40%) and Cx. p pipiens (8%). A single pool of 10 Cx. torrentium specimens collected from an animal burrow was positive for Usutu virus. The detection of Usutu virus demonstrates that Cx. torrentium can act as winter reservoir for arboviruses. Abandoned animal burrows may by the primary overwintering site for the species and should be considered in future surveillance programmes, when sampling overwintering mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix G. Sauer
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Unchana Lange
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
- Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ellen Kiel
- Aquatic Ecology and Nature Conservation, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Blanka Wiatrowska
- Department of Botany and Forest Habitats, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Łukasz Myczko
- Department of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Renke Lühken
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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20
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van Bree JWM, Linthout C, van Dijk T, Abbo SR, Fros JJ, Koenraadt CJM, Pijlman GP, Wang H. Competition between two Usutu virus isolates in cell culture and in the common house mosquito Culex pipiens. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1195621. [PMID: 37293213 PMCID: PMC10244747 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1195621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Usutu virus (USUV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus of African origin. Over the past decades, USUV has spread through Europe causing mass die-offs among multiple bird species. The natural transmission cycle of USUV involves Culex spp. mosquitoes as vectors and birds as amplifying hosts. Next to birds and mosquitoes, USUV has also been isolated from multiple mammalian species, including humans, which are considered dead-end hosts. USUV isolates are phylogenetically classified into an African and European branch, subdivided into eight genetic lineages (Africa 1, 2, and 3 and Europe 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 lineages). Currently, multiple African and European lineages are co-circulating in Europe. Despite increased knowledge of the epidemiology and pathogenicity of the different lineages, the effects of co-infection and transmission efficacy of the co-circulating USUV strains remain unclear. In this study, we report a comparative study between two USUV isolates as follows: a Dutch isolate (USUV-NL, Africa lineage 3) and an Italian isolate (USUV-IT, Europe lineage 2). Upon co-infection, USUV-NL was consistently outcompeted by USUV-IT in mosquito, mammalian, and avian cell lines. In mosquito cells, the fitness advantage of USUV-IT was most prominently observed in comparison to the mammalian or avian cell lines. When Culex pipiens mosquitoes were orally infected with the different isolates, no overall differences in vector competence for USUV-IT and USUV-NL were observed. However, during the in vivo co-infection assay, it was observed that USUV-NL infectivity and transmission were negatively affected by USUV-IT but not vice versa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce W. M. van Bree
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Charlotte Linthout
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Teije van Dijk
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Sandra R. Abbo
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Jelke J. Fros
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Gorben P. Pijlman
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Haidong Wang
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
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21
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Gothe LMR, Ganzenberg S, Ziegler U, Obiegala A, Lohmann KL, Sieg M, Vahlenkamp TW, Groschup MH, Hörügel U, Pfeffer M. Horses as Sentinels for the Circulation of Flaviviruses in Eastern-Central Germany. Viruses 2023; 15:v15051108. [PMID: 37243194 DOI: 10.3390/v15051108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Since 2018, autochthonous West Nile virus (WNV) infections have been regularly reported in eastern-central Germany. While clinically apparent infections in humans and horses are not frequent, seroprevalence studies in horses may allow the tracing of WNV and related flaviviruses transmission, such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and Usutu virus (USUV), and consequently help to estimate the risk of human infections. Hence, the aim of our study was to follow the seropositive ratio against these three viruses in horses in Saxony, Saxony Anhalt, and Brandenburg and to describe their geographic distribution for the year 2021. In early 2022, i.e., before the virus transmission season, sera from 1232 unvaccinated horses were tested using a competitive pan-flavivirus ELISA (cELISA). In order to estimate the true seropositive ratio of infection with WNV, TBEV, and USUV for 2021, positive and equivocal results were confirmed by a virus neutralization test (VNT). In addition, possible risk factors for seropositivity using questionnaires were analyzed using logistic regression based on questionnaires similar to our previous study from 2020. In total, 125 horse sera reacted positive in the cELISA. Based on the VNT, 40 sera showed neutralizing antibodies against WNV, 69 against TBEV, and 5 against USUV. Three sera showed antibodies against more than one virus, and eight were negative based on the VNT. The overall seropositive ratio was 3.3% (95% CI: 2.38-4.40) for WNV, 5.6% (95% CI: 4.44-7.04) for TBEV, and 0.4% (95% CI: 0.14-0.98) for USUV infections. While age and number of horses on the holding were factors predicting TBEV seropositivity, no risk factors were discovered for WNV seropositivity. We conclude that horses are useful sentinels to determine the flavivirus circulation in eastern-central Germany, as long as they are not vaccinated against WNV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard M R Gothe
- Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stefanie Ganzenberg
- Department for Horses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ute Ziegler
- Friedrich-Loeffler Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Anna Obiegala
- Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Katharina L Lohmann
- Department for Horses, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael Sieg
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas W Vahlenkamp
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin H Groschup
- Friedrich-Loeffler Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Uwe Hörügel
- Animal Diseases Fund Saxony, Horse Health Service, 01099 Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin Pfeffer
- Institute of Animal Hygiene and Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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22
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Prioteasa FL, Dinu S, Tiron GV, Stancu IG, Fălcuță E, Ceianu CS, Cotar AI. First Detection and Molecular Characterization of Usutu Virus in Culex pipiens Mosquitoes Collected in Romania. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11030684. [PMID: 36985256 PMCID: PMC10054730 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11030684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Usutu virus (USUV) is an emergent arbovirus in Europe causing mortality in bird populations. Similar to West Nile virus (WNV), USUV is maintained in sylvatic cycles between mosquito vectors and bird reservoirs. Spillover events may result in human neurological infection cases. Apart from indirect evidence provided by a recent serological study in wild birds, the circulation of USUV in Romania was not assessed. We aimed to detect and molecular characterize USUV circulating in mosquito vectors collected in South-Eastern Romania-a well-known WNV endemic region-during four transmission seasons. Mosquitoes were collected from Bucharest metropolitan area and Danube Delta, pooled, and screened by real-time RT-PCR for USUV. Partial genomic sequences were obtained and used for phylogeny. USUV was detected in Culex pipiens s.l. female mosquitoes collected in Bucharest, in 2019. The virus belonged to Europe 2 lineage, sub-lineage EU2-A. Phylogenetic analysis revealed high similarity with isolates infecting mosquito vectors, birds, and humans in Europe starting with 2009, all sharing common origin in Northern Italy. To our knowledge, this is the first study characterizing a strain of USUV circulating in Romania.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Liviu Prioteasa
- Medical Entomology Laboratory, Cantacuzino National Military Medical Institute for Research and Development, 103 Splaiul Independenței, 050096 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Sorin Dinu
- Molecular Epidemiology for Communicable Diseases Laboratory, Cantacuzino National Military Medical Institute for Research and Development, 103 Splaiul Independenței, 050096 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Georgiana Victorița Tiron
- Vector-Borne Infections Laboratory, Cantacuzino National Military Medical Institute for Research and Development, 103 Splaiul Independenței, 050096 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 1-3 Aleea Portocalelor, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ioana Georgeta Stancu
- Vector-Borne Infections Laboratory, Cantacuzino National Military Medical Institute for Research and Development, 103 Splaiul Independenței, 050096 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 1-3 Aleea Portocalelor, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Elena Fălcuță
- Medical Entomology Laboratory, Cantacuzino National Military Medical Institute for Research and Development, 103 Splaiul Independenței, 050096 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Cornelia Svetlana Ceianu
- Vector-Borne Infections Laboratory, Cantacuzino National Military Medical Institute for Research and Development, 103 Splaiul Independenței, 050096 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ani Ioana Cotar
- Vector-Borne Infections Laboratory, Cantacuzino National Military Medical Institute for Research and Development, 103 Splaiul Independenței, 050096 Bucharest, Romania
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23
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Chen R, Francese R, Wang N, Li F, Sun X, Xu B, Liu J, Liu Z, Donalisio M, Lembo D, Zhou GC. Exploration of novel hexahydropyrrolo[1,2-e]imidazol-1-one derivatives as antiviral agents against ZIKV and USUV. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 248:115081. [PMID: 36623328 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.115081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are two emerging flaviviruses mostly transmitted by mosquitos. ZIKV is associated with microcephaly in newborns and the less-known USUV, with its reported neurotropism and its extensive spread in Europe, represents a growing concern for human health. There is still no approved vaccine or specific antiviral against ZIKV and USUV infections. The main goal of this study is to investigate the anti-ZIKV and anti-USUV activity of a new library of compounds and to preliminarily investigate the mechanism of action of the selected hit compounds in vitro. Two potent anti-ZIKV and anti-USUV agents, namely ZDL-115 and ZDL-116, were discovered, both presenting low cytotoxicity, cell-line independent antiviral activity in the low micromolar range and ability of reducing viral progeny production. The analysis of the structure-activity relationship (SAR) revealed that introduction of 2-deoxyribose to 3-arene was fundamental to enhance the solubility and improve the antiviral action. Additionally, we demonstrated that ZDL-115 and ZDL-116 are significantly active against both viruses when added on cells for at least 24 h prior to viral inoculation or immediately post-infection. The docking analysis showed that ZDL-116 could target the host vitamin D receptor (VDR) and viral proteins. Future experiments will be focused on compound modification to discover analogues that are more potent and on the clarification of the mechanism of action and the specific drug target. The discovery and the development of a novel anti-flavivirus drug will have a significant impact in a context where there are no fully effective antiviral drugs or vaccines for most flaviviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, Jiangsu, China; Xitaihu Lake Industrial College, Nanjing Tech University, Changzhou, 213149, Jiangsu, China
| | - Rachele Francese
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Antiviral Research, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, 10043 Orbassano, Turin, Italy
| | - Na Wang
- Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Feng Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xia Sun
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bin Xu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jinsong Liu
- Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
| | - Zhuyun Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Taizhou Polytechnic College, Taizhou, 225300, Jiangsu, China
| | - Manuela Donalisio
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Antiviral Research, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, 10043 Orbassano, Turin, Italy
| | - David Lembo
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Antiviral Research, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, 10043 Orbassano, Turin, Italy.
| | - Guo-Chun Zhou
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, Jiangsu, China; Xitaihu Lake Industrial College, Nanjing Tech University, Changzhou, 213149, Jiangsu, China.
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Jurisic L, Malatesta D, Zaccaria G, Di Teodoro G, Bonfini B, Valleriani F, Teodori L, Bencivenga F, Leone A, Ripà P, D'Innocenzo V, Rossi E, Lorusso A. Immunization with Usutu virus and with a chimeric West Nile virus (WNV) harboring Usutu-E protein protects immunocompetent adult mice against lethal challenges with different WNV lineage 1 and 2 strains. Vet Microbiol 2023; 277:109636. [PMID: 36580873 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2022.109636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV), two antigenically related flaviviruses co-circulating in Europe, can cause severe neurological disease in animals and humans. The immune response against USUV and WNV and their immunopathogenesis are still poorly investigated. Here we present results upon sequential infections of adult immunocompetent CD-1 and BALB/c mice primed with two different doses (high dose, HD or low dose, LD) of an USUV isolate and challenged with HD or LD of three different WNV isolates. CD-1 and BALB/c LD USUV-primed mice, regardless of the dose, are largely protected from lethal WNV challenges despite showing no detectable neutralizing antibodies. Furthermore, mice immunized with a chimeric virus harboring the E protein of USUV within the WNV backbone (WNVE-USUV) are protected against a lethal challenge with WNV. We believe these findings could contribute to understanding the dynamics of the interaction during sequential infection of these two flaviviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucija Jurisic
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Teramo (IZS-Te), Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Daniela Malatesta
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Teramo (IZS-Te), Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
| | - Guendalina Zaccaria
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Teramo (IZS-Te), Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
| | - Giovanni Di Teodoro
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Teramo (IZS-Te), Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
| | - Barbara Bonfini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Teramo (IZS-Te), Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
| | - Fabrizia Valleriani
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Teramo (IZS-Te), Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
| | - Liana Teodori
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Teramo (IZS-Te), Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
| | | | - Alessandra Leone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Teramo (IZS-Te), Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
| | - Paola Ripà
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Teramo (IZS-Te), Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo D'Innocenzo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Teramo (IZS-Te), Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
| | - Emanuela Rossi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Teramo (IZS-Te), Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
| | - Alessio Lorusso
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Teramo (IZS-Te), Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy.
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Zhou J, Xing Y, Zhou Z, Wang S. A comprehensive analysis of Usutu virus (USUV) genomes revealed lineage-specific codon usage patterns and host adaptations. Front Microbiol 2023; 13:967999. [PMID: 36713228 PMCID: PMC9878346 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.967999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging arbovirus virus maintained in the environment of Afro-Eurasia via a bird-mosquito-bird enzootic cycle and sporadically infected other vertebrates. Despite primarily asymptomatic or mild symptoms, humans infected by USUV can develop severe neurological diseases such as meningoencephalitis. However, no detailed study has yet been conducted to investigate its evolution from the perspective of codon usage patterns. Codon usage choice of viruses reflects the genetic variations that enable them to reconcile their viability and fitness toward the external environment and new hosts. This study performed a comprehensive evolution and codon usage analysis of USUVs. Our reconstructed phylogenetic tree confirmed that the circulation viruses belong to eight distinct lineages, reaffirmed by principal component analysis based on codon usage patterns. We also found a relatively small codon usage bias and that natural selection, mutation pressure, dinucleotide abundance, and evolutionary processes collectively shaped the codon usage of the USUV, with natural selection predominating over the others. Additionally, a complex interaction of codon usage between the USUV and its host was observed. This process could have enabled USUV to adapt to various hosts and vectors, including humans. Therefore, the USUV may possess a potential risk of cross-species transmission and subsequent outbreaks. In this respect, further epidemiologic surveys, diversity monitoring, and pathogenetic research are warranted.
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Akinsulie OC, Adesola RO, Bakre A, Adebowale OO, Adeleke R, Ogunleye SC, Oladapo IP. Usutu virus: An emerging flavivirus with potential threat to public health in Africa: Nigeria as a case study. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1115501. [PMID: 36875996 PMCID: PMC9980716 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1115501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Usutu virus (USUV) is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) of the flaviviridae family (genus Flavivirus) which belong to the Japanese encephalitis virus complex. Culex mosquitoes have been implicated in the transmission of this pathogen. The major susceptible hosts of USUV are migratory birds, thereby potentiating its ability to spread from one region to another globally. Nigeria has the largest economy in Africa with a significant percentage of the gross domestic product relying on the agricultural and animal production industry. This review explores the zoonotic potentials of the virus in Africa, especially Nigeria, with special focus on the devastating sequelae this might lead to in the future if necessary precautionary policies are not enacted and adopted to bolster the surveillance system for mosquito-borne viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Adetolase Bakre
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
| | | | - Richard Adeleke
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Seto Charles Ogunleye
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States
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Siljic M, Sehovic R, Jankovic M, Stamenkovic G, Loncar A, Todorovic M, Stanojevic M, Cirkovic V. Evolutionary dynamics of Usutu virus: Worldwide dispersal patterns and transmission dynamics in Europe. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1145981. [PMID: 37032910 PMCID: PMC10076808 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1145981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging mosquito-borne Flavivirus, with birds as the main zoonotic reservoir. Humans are accidental hosts and mostly develop mild or even asymptomatic infections, although severe complications such as encephalitis can also arise. Detailed characterization of the pathogen's phylogenetics may offer valuable insights into the prediction and prevention of potential epidemics; however, lack of uniformity and the number of available USUV sequences worldwide hamper comprehensive investigation. Aim The study aimed to investigate USUV spatio-temporal dispersal inter- and intracontinentally and to estimate the dynamics of viral spread within Europe. Methods Phylogeographic and phylodynamic analyses were done using advanced phylogenetic methods implemented in Beast 1.10.4 and Beast 2.6.4 software packages. Results Herein, we report on a new USUV isolate from Culex pipiens collected in 2019 from Serbia. The results of this research revealed two newly described intercontinental migration events of USUV from Africa to Germany in the 1970s and from Africa to the Middle East (Israel) in the late 90s. Finally, phylodynamic analysis substantiated the ongoing active expansion of USUV in Europe. Conclusion The data would imply a high potential for further USUV expansion in Europe. Detailed phylogenetic characterization of the pathogen may offer valuable insights into prediction and prevention of potential epidemics; however, lack of uniformity and number of available USUV sequences worldwide hampers comprehensive investigation. This study draws attention to the need for upscaling USUV surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Siljic
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Rastko Sehovic
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marko Jankovic
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Gorana Stamenkovic
- Department for Genetic Research, Institute for Biological Research “Sinisa Stankovic”, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ana Loncar
- Institute for Biocides and Medical Ecology, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marija Todorovic
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Maja Stanojevic
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Valentina Cirkovic
- Group for Medical Entomology, Centre of Excellence for Food- and Vector-Borne Zoonoses, National Institute of Republic of Serbia, Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
- *Correspondence: Valentina Cirkovic
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Coroian M, Silaghi C, Tews BA, Baltag EȘ, Marinov M, Alexe V, Kalmár Z, Cintia H, Lupșe MS, Mihalca AD. Serological Survey of Mosquito-Borne Arboviruses in Wild Birds from Important Migratory Hotspots in Romania. Pathogens 2022; 11:1270. [PMID: 36365021 PMCID: PMC9699478 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11111270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In the context of climate change, globalization, and enhanced human traveling, arboviruses continue to represent a threat to public health. West Nile and Usutu viruses are mosquito-borne viruses belonging to the Flaviviridae family (Flavivirus genus) and members of the Japanese encephalitis virus serocomplex. Included in the Togaviridae family (Alphavirus genus), the Sindbis virus is also vectored by mosquitoes. In the present study, we aimed to analyze the presence of antibodies concerning the abovementioned viruses in migratory and resident birds in the South-Eastern region of Romania, as avian hosts represent the main reservoir for human infection. Blood samples were collected from wild birds between May 2018 and October 2019 in nine locations from three counties. All the samples were serologically tested by ELISA and a serum neutralization test. Overall, a seroprevalence of 8.72% was registered for the West Nile virus, 2.71% for the Usutu virus, and 0% for the Sindbis virus. To our best knowledge, this is the first large-scale comprehensive study to assess the West Nile virus seropositivity in wild birds and the first serological confirmation of the Usutu virus in wild birds in Romania. Moreover, this is the only follow-up study reviewing the current seroprevalence of the Sindbis virus in Romania since 1975.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mircea Coroian
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Infectious Diseases, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cornelia Silaghi
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, D-17493 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Birke Andrea Tews
- Institute of Infectology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, D-17493 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Emanuel Ștefan Baltag
- Marine Biological Stationof Agigea, University “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” of Iași, 907018 Iași, Romania
| | - Mihai Marinov
- Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development, 820112 Tulcea, Romania
| | - Vasile Alexe
- Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development, 820112 Tulcea, Romania
| | - Zsuzsa Kalmár
- Department of Infectious Diseases, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Epidemiology, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- ELKH-ÁTE Climate Change: New Blood-Sucking Parasites and Vector-Borne Pathogens Research Group, 1078 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Horváth Cintia
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Mihaela Sorina Lupșe
- Department of Infectious Diseases, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Calzolari M, Bonilauri P, Grisendi A, Dalmonte G, Vismarra A, Lelli D, Chiapponi C, Bellini R, Lavazza A, Dottori M. Arbovirus Screening in Mosquitoes in Emilia-Romagna (Italy, 2021) and Isolation of Tahyna Virus. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0158722. [PMID: 36165787 PMCID: PMC9602283 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01587-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Several viruses can be transmitted by mosquitoes. We searched some of these viruses in 20,778 mosquitoes, collected in 95 traps on the plains of Emilia-Romagna (North of Italy) in 2021. We detected West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) in pools of Culex (Cx.) pipiens. In addition, we detected two insect-specific flaviviruses in three pools of Aedes (Ae.) caspius and in two of Ae. vexans. Tahyna virus (TAHV) was detected in six pools, three of Ae. caspius and three of Cx. pipiens, and one isolated strain was obtained from one of the Ae. caspius pools. Moreover, we detected TAHV in pools of several mosquito species (Ae. caspius, Ae. vexans, Ae. albopictus, Anopheles maculipennis s.l.) collected in the previous year of surveillance. Our data indicate Ae. caspius as the species most infected with TAHV in the surveyed area. Together with the likely plasticity of the cycle, we reported strong genome stability of the TAHV, probably linked to a successful adaptation of the virus to its ecological niche. Interestingly, in six pools of Cx. pipiens we detected two associated viruses among USUV, WNV, TAHV and all the three viruses in two pools. This result allows us to assume the presence of particular conditions that prompt the circulation of arboviruses, creating the conditions for viral hot spots. While no human diseases related to Tahyna virus were reported in Italy, its detection over the years suggests that it is worth investigating this virus as a potential cause of disease in humans in order to assess its health burden. IMPORTANCE We reported in this work the detection of three Arboviruses (Arthropod-borne viruses) in mosquitoes collected in Emilia-Romagna in 2021. In addition to West Nile and Usutu viruses, which were reported from more than 10 years in the study area, we detected and isolated Tahyna virus (TAHV). We also reported detections of TAHV obtained in previous years of surveillance in different species of mosquitoes. TAHV is the potential causative agent of summer influenza-like diseases and also of meningitis. Even if human cases of disease referable to this virus are not reported in Italy, its relevant presence in mosquitoes suggests investigating the possibility they could.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Calzolari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini” (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Paolo Bonilauri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini” (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Annalisa Grisendi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini” (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Gastone Dalmonte
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini” (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Alice Vismarra
- Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie, UO di Parassitologia e Malattie Parassitarie, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Davide Lelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini” (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Chiara Chiapponi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini” (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Romeo Bellini
- Centro Agricoltura Ambiente “G.Nicoli,” Crevalcore, Italy
| | - Antonio Lavazza
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini” (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Michele Dottori
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini” (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
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Khare B, Kuhn RJ. The Japanese Encephalitis Antigenic Complex Viruses: From Structure to Immunity. Viruses 2022; 14. [PMID: 36298768 DOI: 10.3390/v14102213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last three decades, several flaviviruses of concern that belong to different antigenic groups have expanded geographically. This has resulted in the presence of often more than one virus from a single antigenic group in some areas, while in Europe, Africa and Australia, additionally, multiple viruses belonging to the Japanese encephalitis (JE) serogroup co-circulate. Morphological heterogeneity of flaviviruses dictates antibody recognition and affects virus neutralization, which influences infection control. The latter is further impacted by sequential infections involving diverse flaviviruses co-circulating within a region and their cross-reactivity. The ensuing complex molecular virus-host interplay leads to either cross-protection or disease enhancement; however, the molecular determinants and mechanisms driving these outcomes are unclear. In this review, we provide an overview of the epidemiology of four JE serocomplex viruses, parameters affecting flaviviral heterogeneity and antibody recognition, host immune responses and the current knowledge of the cross-reactivity involving JE serocomplex flaviviruses that leads to differential clinical outcomes, which may inform future preventative and therapeutic interventions.
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Martin H, Barthelemy J, Chin Y, Bergamelli M, Moinard N, Cartron G, Tanguy Le Gac Y, Malnou CE, Simonin Y. Usutu Virus Infects Human Placental Explants and Induces Congenital Defects in Mice. Viruses 2022; 14:v14081619. [PMID: 35893684 PMCID: PMC9330037 DOI: 10.3390/v14081619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Usutu virus (USUV) is a neurotropic mosquito-borne flavivirus that has dispersed quickly in Europe these past years. This arbovirus mainly follows an enzootic cycle involving mosquitoes and birds, but can also infect other mammals, causing notably sporadic cases in humans. Although it is mainly asymptomatic or responsible for mild clinical symptoms, USUV has been associated with neurological disorders, such as encephalitis and meningoencephalitis, highlighting the potential health threat of this virus. Among the different transmission routes described for other flaviviruses, the capacity for some of them to be transmitted vertically has been demonstrated, notably for Zika virus or West Nile virus, which are closely related to USUV. To evaluate the ability of USUV to replicate in the placenta and gain access to the fetus, we combined the use of several trophoblast model cell lines, ex vivo human placental explant cultures from first and third trimester of pregnancy, and in vivo USUV-infected pregnant mice. Our data demonstrate that human placental cells and tissues are permissive to USUV replication, and suggest that viral transmission can occur in mice during gestation. Hence, our observations suggest that USUV could be efficiently transmitted by the vertical route.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Martin
- Institut Toulousain des Maladies Infectieuses et Inflammatoires (Infinity), Université de Toulouse, INSERM, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France; (H.M.); (Y.C.); (M.B.)
| | - Jonathan Barthelemy
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, University of Montpellier, INSERM, EFS, Montpellier, France;
| | - Yamileth Chin
- Institut Toulousain des Maladies Infectieuses et Inflammatoires (Infinity), Université de Toulouse, INSERM, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France; (H.M.); (Y.C.); (M.B.)
- Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud, Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá
| | - Mathilde Bergamelli
- Institut Toulousain des Maladies Infectieuses et Inflammatoires (Infinity), Université de Toulouse, INSERM, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France; (H.M.); (Y.C.); (M.B.)
| | - Nathalie Moinard
- Développement Embryonnaire, Fertilité, Environnement (DEFE), INSERM UMR 1203, Université de Toulouse et Université de Montpellier, France;
- CECOS, Groupe d’Activité de Médecine de la Reproduction, CHU Toulouse, Hôpital Paule de Viguier, Toulouse, France
| | - Géraldine Cartron
- CHU Toulouse, Hôpital Paule de Viguier, Service de Gynécologie Obstétrique, Toulouse, France; (G.C.); (Y.T.L.G.)
| | - Yann Tanguy Le Gac
- CHU Toulouse, Hôpital Paule de Viguier, Service de Gynécologie Obstétrique, Toulouse, France; (G.C.); (Y.T.L.G.)
| | - Cécile E. Malnou
- Institut Toulousain des Maladies Infectieuses et Inflammatoires (Infinity), Université de Toulouse, INSERM, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France; (H.M.); (Y.C.); (M.B.)
- Correspondence: (C.E.M.); (Y.S.)
| | - Yannick Simonin
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, University of Montpellier, INSERM, EFS, Montpellier, France;
- Correspondence: (C.E.M.); (Y.S.)
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Constant O, Gil P, Barthelemy J, Bolloré K, Foulongne V, Desmetz C, Leblond A, Desjardins I, Pradier S, Joulié A, Sandoz A, Amaral R, Boisseau M, Rakotoarivony I, Baldet T, Marie A, Frances B, Reboul Salze F, Tinto B, Van de Perre P, Salinas S, Beck C, Lecollinet S, Gutierrez S, Simonin Y. One Health surveillance of West Nile and Usutu viruses: a repeated cross-sectional study exploring seroprevalence and endemicity in Southern France, 2016 to 2020. Euro Surveill 2022; 27:2200068. [PMID: 35748300 PMCID: PMC9229194 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2022.27.25.2200068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundWest Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV), two closely related flaviviruses, mainly follow an enzootic cycle involving mosquitoes and birds, but also infect humans and other mammals. Since 2010, their epidemiological situation may have shifted from irregular epidemics to endemicity in several European regions; this requires confirmation, as it could have implications for risk assessment and surveillance strategies.AimTo explore the seroprevalence in animals and humans and potential endemicity of WNV and USUV in Southern France, given a long history of WNV outbreaks and the only severe human USUV case in France in this region.MethodsWe evaluated the prevalence of WNV and USUV in a repeated cross-sectional study by serological and molecular analyses of human, dog, horse, bird and mosquito samples in the Camargue area, including the city of Montpellier, between 2016 and 2020.ResultsWe observed the active transmission of both viruses and higher USUV prevalence in humans, dogs, birds and mosquitoes, while WNV prevalence was higher in horses. In 500 human samples, 15 were positive for USUV and 6 for WNV. Genetic data showed that the same lineages, WNV lineage 1a and USUV lineage Africa 3, were found in mosquitoes in 2015, 2018 and 2020.ConclusionThese findings support existing literature suggesting endemisation in the study region and contribute to a better understanding of USUV and WNV circulation in Southern France. Our study underlines the importance of a One Health approach for the surveillance of these viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orianne Constant
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, Montpellier University, INSERM, EFS (etablissement français du sang), Montpellier, France
| | - Patricia Gil
- ASTRE research unit, CIRAD, INRAe, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | - Jonathan Barthelemy
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, Montpellier University, INSERM, EFS (etablissement français du sang), Montpellier, France
| | - Karine Bolloré
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, Montpellier University, INSERM, EFS (etablissement français du sang), Montpellier, France
| | - Vincent Foulongne
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, Montpellier University, INSERM, EFS (etablissement français du sang), Montpellier, France
| | - Caroline Desmetz
- BioCommunication en CardioMétabolique (BC2M), Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | - Agnès Leblond
- EPIA, UMR 0346, Epidemiologie des maladies animales et zoonotiques, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - Isabelle Desjardins
- University of Lyon, VetAgro Sup, GREMERES-ICE Lyon Equine Research Center, Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | | | - Aurélien Joulié
- National veterinary school of Toulouse, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Alain Sandoz
- Aix Marseille Université - CNRS, UMR 7376, Laboratoire Chimie de l'Environnement, Marseille, France
| | - Rayane Amaral
- UMR 1161 Virology, ANSES, INRAE, ENVA, ANSES Animal Health Laboratory, EURL for equine diseases, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Michel Boisseau
- ASTRE research unit, CIRAD, INRAe, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Thierry Baldet
- ASTRE research unit, CIRAD, INRAe, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | | | | | | | - Bachirou Tinto
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, Montpellier University, INSERM, EFS (etablissement français du sang), Montpellier, France
| | - Philippe Van de Perre
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, Montpellier University, INSERM, EFS (etablissement français du sang), Montpellier, France
| | - Sara Salinas
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, Montpellier University, INSERM, EFS (etablissement français du sang), Montpellier, France
| | - Cécile Beck
- UMR 1161 Virology, ANSES, INRAE, ENVA, ANSES Animal Health Laboratory, EURL for equine diseases, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Sylvie Lecollinet
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, CRVC, Petit Bourg, France
- UMR 1161 Virology, ANSES, INRAE, ENVA, ANSES Animal Health Laboratory, EURL for equine diseases, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Serafin Gutierrez
- ASTRE research unit, CIRAD, INRAe, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | - Yannick Simonin
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, Montpellier University, INSERM, EFS (etablissement français du sang), Montpellier, France
- ASTRE research unit, CIRAD, INRAe, Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
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Snoeck CJ, Sausy A, Losch S, Wildschutz F, Bourg M, Hübschen JM. Usutu Virus Africa 3 Lineage, Luxembourg, 2020. Emerg Infect Dis 2022; 28:1076-1079. [PMID: 35447065 PMCID: PMC9045450 DOI: 10.3201/eid2805.212012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We detected Usutu virus in a dead Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula) in Luxembourg in September 2020. The strain clustered within the Africa 3.1 lineage identified in Western Europe since 2016. Our results suggest maintenance of the virus in Europe despite little reporting during 2019–2020, rather than a new introduction.
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34
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Marzal A, Ferraguti M, Muriel J, Magallanes S, Ortiz JA, García-Longoria L, Bravo-Barriga D, Guerrero-Carvajal F, Aguilera-Sepúlveda P, Llorente F, de Lope F, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ, Frontera E. Circulation of zoonotic flaviviruses in wild passerine birds in Western Spain. Vet Microbiol 2022; 268:109399. [PMID: 35344925 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2022.109399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We explore the presence of zoonotic flaviviruses (West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV)) neutralizing antibodies in rarely studied passerine bird species. We report, for the first time in Europe, WNV-specific antibodies in red avadavat and cetti's warbler, and USUV in yellow-crowned bishop. The evidence of WNV and USUV circulating in resident and migratory species has implications for both animal and public health. Future outbreaks in avian reservoir hosts may occur and passerines should be considered as priority target species in flavivirus surveillance programmes.
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35
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Martin MF, Maarifi G, Abiven H, Seffals M, Mouchet N, Beck C, Bodet C, Lévèque N, Arhel NJ, Blanchet FP, Simonin Y, Nisole S. Usutu virus escapes langerin-induced restriction to productively infect human Langerhans cells, unlike West Nile virus. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:761-774. [PMID: 35191820 PMCID: PMC8903762 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2045875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Usutu virus (USUV) and West Nile virus (WNV) are phylogenetically close emerging arboviruses and constitute a global public health threat. Since USUV and WNV are transmitted by mosquitoes, the first immune cells they encounter are skin-resident dendritic cells, the most peripheral outpost of immune defense. This unique network is composed of Langerhans cells (LCs) and dermal DCs, which reside in the epidermis and the dermis, respectively. Using human skin explants, we show that while both viruses can replicate in keratinocytes, they can also infect resident DCs with distinct tropism: WNV preferentially infects DCs in the dermis, whereas USUV has a greater propensity to infect LCs. Using both purified human epidermal LCs (eLCs) and monocyte derived LCs (MoLCs), we confirm that LCs sustain a faster and more efficient replication of USUV than WNV and that this correlates with a more intense innate immune response to USUV compared with WNV. Next, we show that ectopic expression of the LC-specific C-type lectin receptor (CLR), langerin, in HEK293T cells allows WNV and USUV to bind and enter, but supports the subsequent replication of USUV only. Conversely, blocking or silencing langerin in MoLCs or eLCs made them resistant to USUV infection, thus demonstrating that USUV uses langerin to enter and replicate in LCs. Altogether, our results demonstrate that LCs constitute privileged target cells for USUV in human skin, because langerin favours its entry and replication. Intriguingly, this suggests that USUV efficiently escapes the antiviral functions of langerin, which normally safeguards LCs from most viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-France Martin
- Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Ghizlane Maarifi
- Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Hervé Abiven
- Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Marine Seffals
- Plateforme H2P2, Université de Rennes 1, Biosit, Rennes, France
| | - Nicolas Mouchet
- Plateforme H2P2, Université de Rennes 1, Biosit, Rennes, France
| | - Cécile Beck
- UMR1161 Virologie, INRAE, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Charles Bodet
- Laboratoire Inflammation, Tissus Epithéliaux et Cytokines, LITEC EA 4331, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Nicolas Lévèque
- Laboratoire Inflammation, Tissus Epithéliaux et Cytokines, LITEC EA 4331, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Nathalie J Arhel
- Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Fabien P Blanchet
- Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Yannick Simonin
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections, Université de Montpellier, INSERM, EFS, Montpellier, France
| | - Sébastien Nisole
- Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
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36
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Heitzman-Breen N, Golden J, Vazquez A, Kuchinsky SC, Duggal NK, Ciupe SM. Modeling the dynamics of Usutu virus infection in birds. J Theor Biol 2021; 531:110896. [PMID: 34506809 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2021.110896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Usutu virus is an emerging zoonotic flavivirus causing high avian mortality rates and occasional severe neurological disorders in humans. Several virus strains are co-circulating and the differences in their characteristics and avian pathogenesis levels are still unknown. In this study, we use within-host mathematical models to characterize the mechanisms responsible for virus expansion and clearance in juvenile chickens challenged with four Usutu virus strains. We find heterogeneity between the virus strains, with the time between cell infection and viral production varying between 16 h and 23 h, the infected cell lifespan varying between 48 min and 9.5 h, and the basic reproductive number R0 varying between 12.05 and 19.49. The strains with high basic reproductive number have short infected cell lifespan, indicative of immune responses. The virus strains with low basic reproductive number have lower viral peaks and longer lasting viremia, due to lower infection rates and high infected cell lifespan. We discuss how the host and virus heterogeneities may differently impact the public health threat presented by these virus strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Heitzman-Breen
- Department of Mathematics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Jacob Golden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Ana Vazquez
- National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Epidemiology and Public Health Network of Biomedical Research Centre (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sarah C Kuchinsky
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Nisha K Duggal
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Stanca M Ciupe
- Department of Mathematics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
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37
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Berneck BS, Rockstroh A, Barzon L, Sinigaglia A, Vocale C, Landini MP, Rabenau HF, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Ulbert S. Serological differentiation of West Nile virus and Usutu virus induced antibodies by envelope proteins with modified cross-reactive epitopes. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:2779-2787. [PMID: 34919790 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are mosquito-borne viruses belonging to the Japanese encephalitis virus serocomplex within the genus Flavivirus. Due to climate change and the expansion of mosquito vectors, flaviviruses are becoming endemic in increasing numbers of countries. WNV infections are reported with symptoms ranging from mild fever to severe neuro invasive disease. Until now, only a few USUV infections have been reported in humans, mostly with mild symptoms. The serological diagnosis and differentiation between flavivirus infections in general and between WNV and USUV in particular are challenging due the high degree of cross-reacting antibodies, especially of those directed against the conserved fusion loop (FL) domain of the envelope (E) protein. We have previously shown that E proteins containing four amino acid mutations in and near the FL strongly reduce the binding of cross-reactive antibodies leading to diagnostic technologies with improved specificities. Here, we expanded the technology to USUV and analyzed the differentiation of USUV and WNV induced antibodies in humans. IgG ELISAs modified by an additional competition step with the heterologous antigen resulted in overall specificities of 93.94% for WNV Equad and 92.75% for USUV Equad. IgM antibodies against WNV could be differentiated from USUV IgM in a direct comparison using both antigens. The data indicate the potential of the system to diagnose antigenically closely related flavivirus infections. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Sarah Berneck
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Perlickstr. 1, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Alexandra Rockstroh
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Perlickstr. 1, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Luisa Barzon
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, via A. Gabelli 63, Padova, 35121, Italy
| | - Alessandro Sinigaglia
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, via A. Gabelli 63, Padova, 35121, Italy
| | - Caterina Vocale
- CRREM. Unità Operativa di Microbiologia, IRCCS Policlinico di S. Orsola, Via Massarenti 9, Bologna, 40138, Italy
| | - Maria Paola Landini
- Clinical Microbiology Unit, Regional Reference Centre for Microbiological Emergencies-CRREM, St. Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Holger F Rabenau
- Institute of Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 40, Frankfurt, 60596, Germany
| | - Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht-Strasse 74, Hamburg, 20359, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ulbert
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Perlickstr. 1, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
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Napp S, Llorente F, Beck C, Jose-Cunilleras E, Soler M, Pailler-García L, Amaral R, Aguilera-Sepúlveda P, Pifarré M, Molina-López R, Obón E, Nicolás O, Lecollinet S, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ, Busquets N. Widespread Circulation of Flaviviruses in Horses and Birds in Northeastern Spain (Catalonia) between 2010 and 2019. Viruses 2021; 13:v13122404. [PMID: 34960673 PMCID: PMC8708358 DOI: 10.3390/v13122404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The surveillance for West Nile virus (WNV) in Catalonia (northeastern Spain) has consistently detected flaviviruses not identified as WNV. With the aim of characterizing the flaviviruses circulating in Catalonia, serum samples from birds and horses collected between 2010 and 2019 and positive by panflavivirus competition ELISA (cELISA) were analyzed by microneutralization test (MNT) against different flaviviruses. A third of the samples tested were inconclusive by MNT, highlighting the limitations of current diagnostic techniques. Our results evidenced the widespread circulation of flaviviruses, in particular WNV, but also Usutu virus (USUV), and suggest that chicken and horses could serve as sentinels for both viruses. In several regions, WNV and USUV overlapped, but no significant geographical aggregation was observed. Bagaza virus (BAGV) was not detected in birds, while positivity to tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) was sporadically detected in horses although no endemic foci were observed. So far, no human infections by WNV, USUV, or TBEV have been reported in Catalonia. However, these zoonotic flaviviruses need to be kept under surveillance, ideally within a One Health framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Napp
- IRTA, Animal Health Research Centre (CReSA IRTA-UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain;
- Correspondence: (S.N.); (N.B.)
| | - Francisco Llorente
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), 28130 Valdeolmos, Spain; (F.L.); (P.A.-S.); (M.Á.J.-C.)
| | - Cécile Beck
- UMR 1161 Virology, ANSES, INRAE, ENVA, ANSES Animal Health Laboratory, EURL for Equine Diseases, 94704 Maisons-Alfort, France; (C.B.); (R.A.); (S.L.)
| | - Eduard Jose-Cunilleras
- Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain;
- Servei Medicina Interna Equina, Fundació Hospital Clínic Veterinari (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Mercè Soler
- Servei de Prevenció en Salut Animal, Departament d’Acció Climàtica, Alimentació i Agenda Rural (DACC), 08007 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Lola Pailler-García
- IRTA, Animal Health Research Centre (CReSA IRTA-UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain;
| | - Rayane Amaral
- UMR 1161 Virology, ANSES, INRAE, ENVA, ANSES Animal Health Laboratory, EURL for Equine Diseases, 94704 Maisons-Alfort, France; (C.B.); (R.A.); (S.L.)
| | - Pilar Aguilera-Sepúlveda
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), 28130 Valdeolmos, Spain; (F.L.); (P.A.-S.); (M.Á.J.-C.)
| | - Maria Pifarré
- Centre de Fauna dels Aiguamolls de l’Empordà, Àrea de Gestió Ambiental Servei de Fauna i Flora, Forestal Catalana, 17486 Castelló d’Empúries, Spain;
| | - Rafael Molina-López
- Centre de Fauna de Torreferrussa, Àrea de Gestió Ambiental Servei de Fauna i Flora, Forestal Catalana, 08130 Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, Spain; (R.M.-L.); (E.O.)
| | - Elena Obón
- Centre de Fauna de Torreferrussa, Àrea de Gestió Ambiental Servei de Fauna i Flora, Forestal Catalana, 08130 Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, Spain; (R.M.-L.); (E.O.)
| | - Olga Nicolás
- Centre de Fauna de Vallcalent, Àrea de Gestió Ambiental Servei de Fauna i Flora, Forestal Catalana, 25199 Lleida, Spain;
- Parc Natural de l’Alt Pirineu, Àrea de Gestió Ambiental Servei de Fauna i Flora, Forestal Catalana, 25595 Llavorsí, Spain
| | - Sylvie Lecollinet
- UMR 1161 Virology, ANSES, INRAE, ENVA, ANSES Animal Health Laboratory, EURL for Equine Diseases, 94704 Maisons-Alfort, France; (C.B.); (R.A.); (S.L.)
| | - Miguel Ángel Jiménez-Clavero
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), 28130 Valdeolmos, Spain; (F.L.); (P.A.-S.); (M.Á.J.-C.)
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Núria Busquets
- IRTA, Animal Health Research Centre (CReSA IRTA-UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain;
- Correspondence: (S.N.); (N.B.)
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Salgado R, Hawks SA, Frere F, Vázquez A, Huang CYH, Duggal NK. West Nile Virus Vaccination Protects against Usutu Virus Disease in Mice. Viruses 2021; 13:v13122352. [PMID: 34960621 PMCID: PMC8704473 DOI: 10.3390/v13122352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are mosquito-borne flaviviruses that can cause neuroinvasive disease in humans. WNV and USUV circulate in both Africa and Europe and are closely related. Due to antigenic similarity, WNV-specific antibodies and USUV-specific antibodies have the potential to bind heterologous viruses; however, it is unclear whether this interaction may offer protection against infection. To investigate how prior WNV exposure would influence USUV infection, we used an attenuated WNV vaccine that contains the surface proteins of WNV in the backbone of a dengue virus 2 vaccine strain and protects against WNV disease. We hypothesized that vaccination with this attenuated WNV vaccine would protect against USUV infection. Neutralizing responses against WNV and USUV were measured in vitro using sera following vaccination. Sera from vaccinated CD-1 and Ifnar1-/- mice cross-neutralized with WNV and USUV. All mice were then subsequently challenged with an African or European USUV strain. In CD-1 mice, there was no difference in USUV titers between vaccinated and mock-vaccinated mice. However, in the Ifnar1-/- model, vaccinated mice had significantly higher survival rates and significantly lower USUV viremia compared to mock-vaccinated mice. Our results indicate that exposure to an attenuated form of WNV protects against severe USUV disease in mice and elicits a neutralizing response to both WNV and USUV. Future studies will investigate the immune mechanisms responsible for the protection against USUV infection induced by WNV vaccination, providing critical insight that will be essential for USUV and WNV vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Salgado
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; (R.S.); (S.A.H.); (F.F.)
| | - Seth A. Hawks
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; (R.S.); (S.A.H.); (F.F.)
| | - Francesca Frere
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; (R.S.); (S.A.H.); (F.F.)
| | - Ana Vázquez
- National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), CIBERESP, CIBER Epidemiology and Public Health, 28220 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Claire Y.-H. Huang
- Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA;
| | - Nisha K. Duggal
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; (R.S.); (S.A.H.); (F.F.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-540-231-6705
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40
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de Heus P, Kolodziejek J, Hubálek Z, Dimmel K, Racher V, Nowotny N, Cavalleri JMV. West Nile Virus and Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Are Endemic in Equids in Eastern Austria. Viruses 2021; 13:v13091873. [PMID: 34578454 PMCID: PMC8473302 DOI: 10.3390/v13091873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phebe de Heus
- Clinical Unit of Equine Internal Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (P.d.H.); (J.-M.V.C.)
| | - Jolanta Kolodziejek
- Viral Zoonoses, Emerging and Vector-Borne Infections Group, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (J.K.); (K.D.)
| | - Zdenĕk Hubálek
- Institute for Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Kvĕtná 8, 60365 Brno, Czech Republic;
| | - Katharina Dimmel
- Viral Zoonoses, Emerging and Vector-Borne Infections Group, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (J.K.); (K.D.)
| | - Victoria Racher
- Department of Mathematics, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Straße 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria;
| | - Norbert Nowotny
- Viral Zoonoses, Emerging and Vector-Borne Infections Group, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (J.K.); (K.D.)
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Healthcare City, Building 14, Dubai P.O. Box 505055, United Arab Emirates
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +43-1-25077-2704
| | - Jessika-M. V. Cavalleri
- Clinical Unit of Equine Internal Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (P.d.H.); (J.-M.V.C.)
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41
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Trogu T, Canziani S, Salvato S, Tolini C, Grilli G, Chiari M, Farioli M, Alborali L, Gaffuri A, Sala G, Bianchi A, Rosignoli C, Prati P, Gradassi M, Sozzi E, Lelli D, Lavazza A, Moreno A. Survey on the Presence of Viruses of Economic and Zoonotic Importance in Avifauna in Northern Italy. Microorganisms 2021; 9:1957. [PMID: 34576852 PMCID: PMC8471648 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9091957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Wild birds play an important role in the circulation and spread of pathogens that are potentially zoonotic or of high economic impact on zootechnical production. They include, for example, West Nile virus (WNV), Usutu virus (USUV), avian influenza virus (AIV), and Newcastle disease virus (NDV), which, despite having mostly an asymptomatic course in wild birds, have a strong impact on public health and zootechnical production. This study investigated the presence of these viruses in several wild bird species from North Italy during the biennium 2019-2020. Wild birds derived from 76 different species belonging to 20 orders. Out of 679 birds, 27 were positive for WNV (lineage 2) with a prevalence of 4%; all birds were negative for USUV; one gull was positive for H13N6 influenza virus, and 12 samples were positive for NDV with a prevalence of 2%. Despite the low prevalence observed, the analyses performed on these species provide further data, allowing a better understanding of the diffusion and evolution of diseases of both economic and zoonotic importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Trogu
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini” (IZSLER), Via Antonio Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (T.T.); (S.S.); (C.T.); (L.A.); (A.G.); (G.S.); (A.B.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (D.L.); (A.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Sabrina Canziani
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini” (IZSLER), Via Antonio Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (T.T.); (S.S.); (C.T.); (L.A.); (A.G.); (G.S.); (A.B.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (D.L.); (A.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Sara Salvato
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini” (IZSLER), Via Antonio Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (T.T.); (S.S.); (C.T.); (L.A.); (A.G.); (G.S.); (A.B.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (D.L.); (A.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Clara Tolini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini” (IZSLER), Via Antonio Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (T.T.); (S.S.); (C.T.); (L.A.); (A.G.); (G.S.); (A.B.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (D.L.); (A.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Guido Grilli
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell’Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy;
| | - Mario Chiari
- Direzione Generale Welfare, Regional Health Authority of Lombardy, 20124 Milan, Italy; (M.C.); (M.F.)
| | - Marco Farioli
- Direzione Generale Welfare, Regional Health Authority of Lombardy, 20124 Milan, Italy; (M.C.); (M.F.)
| | - Loris Alborali
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini” (IZSLER), Via Antonio Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (T.T.); (S.S.); (C.T.); (L.A.); (A.G.); (G.S.); (A.B.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (D.L.); (A.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Alessandra Gaffuri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini” (IZSLER), Via Antonio Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (T.T.); (S.S.); (C.T.); (L.A.); (A.G.); (G.S.); (A.B.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (D.L.); (A.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Giovanni Sala
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini” (IZSLER), Via Antonio Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (T.T.); (S.S.); (C.T.); (L.A.); (A.G.); (G.S.); (A.B.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (D.L.); (A.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Alessandro Bianchi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini” (IZSLER), Via Antonio Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (T.T.); (S.S.); (C.T.); (L.A.); (A.G.); (G.S.); (A.B.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (D.L.); (A.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Carlo Rosignoli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini” (IZSLER), Via Antonio Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (T.T.); (S.S.); (C.T.); (L.A.); (A.G.); (G.S.); (A.B.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (D.L.); (A.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Paola Prati
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini” (IZSLER), Via Antonio Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (T.T.); (S.S.); (C.T.); (L.A.); (A.G.); (G.S.); (A.B.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (D.L.); (A.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Matteo Gradassi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini” (IZSLER), Via Antonio Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (T.T.); (S.S.); (C.T.); (L.A.); (A.G.); (G.S.); (A.B.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (D.L.); (A.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Enrica Sozzi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini” (IZSLER), Via Antonio Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (T.T.); (S.S.); (C.T.); (L.A.); (A.G.); (G.S.); (A.B.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (D.L.); (A.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Davide Lelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini” (IZSLER), Via Antonio Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (T.T.); (S.S.); (C.T.); (L.A.); (A.G.); (G.S.); (A.B.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (D.L.); (A.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Antonio Lavazza
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini” (IZSLER), Via Antonio Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (T.T.); (S.S.); (C.T.); (L.A.); (A.G.); (G.S.); (A.B.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (D.L.); (A.L.); (A.M.)
| | - Ana Moreno
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “Bruno Ubertini” (IZSLER), Via Antonio Bianchi 7/9, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (T.T.); (S.S.); (C.T.); (L.A.); (A.G.); (G.S.); (A.B.); (C.R.); (P.P.); (M.G.); (E.S.); (D.L.); (A.L.); (A.M.)
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42
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Khare B, Klose T, Fang Q, Rossmann MG, Kuhn RJ. Structure of Usutu virus SAAR-1776 displays fusion loop asymmetry. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2107408118. [PMID: 34417300 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107408118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging arbovirus in Europe that has been increasingly identified in asymptomatic humans and donated blood samples and is a cause of increased incidents of neuroinvasive human disease. Treatment or prevention options for USUV disease are currently nonexistent, the result of a lack of understanding of the fundamental elements of USUV pathogenesis. Here, we report two structures of the mature USUV virus, determined at a resolution of 2.4 Å, using single-particle cryogenic electron microscopy. Mature USUV is an icosahedral shell of 180 copies of envelope (E) and membrane (M) proteins arranged in the classic herringbone pattern. However, unlike previous reports of flavivirus structures, we observe virus subpopulations and differences in the fusion loop disulfide bond. Presence of a second, unique E glycosylation site could elucidate host interactions, contributing to the broad USUV tissue tropism. The structures provide a basis for exploring USUV interactions with glycosaminoglycans and lectins, the role of the RGD motif as a receptor, and the inability of West Nile virus therapeutic antibody E16 to neutralize the mature USUV strain SAAR-1776. Finally, we identify three lipid binding sites and predict key residues that likely participate in virus stability and flexibility during membrane fusion. Our findings provide a framework for the development of USUV therapeutics and expand the current knowledge base of flavivirus biology.
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Kuchinsky SC, Frere F, Heitzman-Breen N, Golden J, Vázquez A, Honaker CF, Siegel PB, Ciupe SM, LeRoith T, Duggal NK. Pathogenesis and shedding of Usutu virus in juvenile chickens. Emerg Microbes Infect 2021; 10:725-738. [PMID: 33769213 PMCID: PMC8043533 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2021.1908850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Usutu virus (USUV; family: Flaviviridae, genus: Flavivirus), is an emerging zoonotic arbovirus that causes severe neuroinvasive disease in humans and has been implicated in the loss of breeding bird populations in Europe. USUV is maintained in an enzootic cycle between ornithophilic mosquitos and wild birds. As a member of the Japanese encephalitis serocomplex, USUV is closely related to West Nile virus (WNV) and St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), both neuroinvasive arboviruses endemic in wild bird populations in the United States. An avian model for USUV is essential to understanding zoonotic transmission. Here we describe the first avian models of USUV infection with the development of viremia. Juvenile commercial ISA Brown chickens were susceptible to infection by multiple USUV strains with evidence of cardiac lesions. Juvenile chickens from two chicken lines selected for high (HAS) or low (LAS) antibody production against sheep red blood cells showed markedly different responses to USUV infection. Morbidity and mortality were observed in the LAS chickens, but not HAS chickens. LAS chickens had significantly higher viral titers in blood and other tissues, as well as oral secretions, and significantly lower development of neutralizing antibody responses compared to HAS chickens. Mathematical modelling of virus-host interactions showed that the viral clearance rate is a stronger mitigating factor for USUV viremia than neutralizing antibody response in this avian model. These chicken models provide a tool for further understanding USUV pathogenesis in birds and evaluating transmission dynamics between avian hosts and mosquito vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Kuchinsky
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Francesca Frere
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Nora Heitzman-Breen
- Department of Mathematics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Jacob Golden
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Ana Vázquez
- National Centre for Microbiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Epidemiology and Public Health Network of Biomedical Research Centre (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Christa F Honaker
- Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Paul B Siegel
- Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Stanca M Ciupe
- Department of Mathematics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Tanya LeRoith
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Nisha K Duggal
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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Giglia G, Agliani G, Munnink BBO, Sikkema RS, Mandara MT, Lepri E, Kik M, Ijzer J, Rijks JM, Fast C, Koopmans MPG, Verheije MH, Gröne A, Reusken CBEM, van den Brand JMA. Pathology and Pathogenesis of Eurasian Blackbirds ( Turdus merula) Naturally Infected with Usutu Virus. Viruses 2021; 13:1481. [PMID: 34452347 PMCID: PMC8402641 DOI: 10.3390/v13081481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The Usutu virus (USUV) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic flavivirus. Despite its continuous circulation in Europe, knowledge on the pathology, cellular and tissue tropism and pathogenetic potential of different circulating viral lineages is still fragmentary. Here, macroscopic and microscopic evaluations are performed in association with the study of cell and tissue tropism and comparison of lesion severity of two circulating virus lineages (Europe 3; Africa 3) in 160 Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula) in the Netherlands. Results confirm hepatosplenomegaly, coagulative necrosis and lymphoplasmacytic inflammation as major patterns of lesions and, for the first time, vasculitis as a novel virus-associated lesion. A USUV and Plasmodium spp. co-infection was commonly identified. The virus was associated with lesions by immunohistochemistry and was reported most commonly in endothelial cells and blood circulating and tissue mononucleated cells, suggesting them as a major route of entry and spread. A tropism for mononuclear phagocytes cells was further supported by viral labeling in multinucleated giant cells. The involvement of ganglionic neurons and epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal tract suggests a possible role of oral transmission, while the involvement of feather follicle shafts and bulbs suggests their use as a diagnostic sample for live bird testing. Finally, results suggest similar pathogenicity for the two circulating lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Giglia
- Division of Pathology, Department of Biomedical Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands; (G.G.); (G.A.); (M.K.); (J.I.); (M.H.V.); (A.G.)
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (M.T.M.); (E.L.)
| | - Gianfilippo Agliani
- Division of Pathology, Department of Biomedical Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands; (G.G.); (G.A.); (M.K.); (J.I.); (M.H.V.); (A.G.)
| | - Bas B. Oude Munnink
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (B.B.O.M.); (R.S.S.); (M.P.G.K.); (C.B.E.M.R.)
| | - Reina S. Sikkema
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (B.B.O.M.); (R.S.S.); (M.P.G.K.); (C.B.E.M.R.)
| | - Maria Teresa Mandara
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (M.T.M.); (E.L.)
| | - Elvio Lepri
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (M.T.M.); (E.L.)
| | - Marja Kik
- Division of Pathology, Department of Biomedical Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands; (G.G.); (G.A.); (M.K.); (J.I.); (M.H.V.); (A.G.)
- Dutch Wildlife Health Centre, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Jooske Ijzer
- Division of Pathology, Department of Biomedical Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands; (G.G.); (G.A.); (M.K.); (J.I.); (M.H.V.); (A.G.)
- Dutch Wildlife Health Centre, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Jolianne M. Rijks
- Dutch Wildlife Health Centre, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Christine Fast
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Disease, Friedrich-Loeffler Institut, D-17493 Isle of Riems, Germany;
| | - Marion P. G. Koopmans
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (B.B.O.M.); (R.S.S.); (M.P.G.K.); (C.B.E.M.R.)
| | - Monique H. Verheije
- Division of Pathology, Department of Biomedical Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands; (G.G.); (G.A.); (M.K.); (J.I.); (M.H.V.); (A.G.)
| | - Andrea Gröne
- Division of Pathology, Department of Biomedical Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands; (G.G.); (G.A.); (M.K.); (J.I.); (M.H.V.); (A.G.)
- Dutch Wildlife Health Centre, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Chantal B. E. M. Reusken
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (B.B.O.M.); (R.S.S.); (M.P.G.K.); (C.B.E.M.R.)
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Judith M. A. van den Brand
- Division of Pathology, Department of Biomedical Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands; (G.G.); (G.A.); (M.K.); (J.I.); (M.H.V.); (A.G.)
- Dutch Wildlife Health Centre, Utrecht University, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands;
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Escribano-Romero E, Jiménez de Oya N, Camacho MC, Blázquez AB, Martín-Acebes MA, Risalde MA, Muriel L, Saiz JC, Höfle U. Previous Usutu Virus Exposure Partially Protects Magpies ( Pica pica) against West Nile Virus Disease But Does Not Prevent Horizontal Transmission. Viruses 2021; 13:1409. [PMID: 34372622 DOI: 10.3390/v13071409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The mosquito-borne flaviviruses USUV and WNV are known to co-circulate in large parts of Europe. Both are a public health concern, and USUV has been the cause of epizootics in both wild and domestic birds, and neurological cases in humans in Europe. Here, we explore the susceptibility of magpies to experimental USUV infection, and how previous exposure to USUV would affect infection with WNV. None of the magpies exposed to USUV showed clinical signs, viremia, or detectable neutralizing antibodies. After challenge with a neurovirulent WNV strain, neither viremia, viral titer of WNV in vascular feathers, nor neutralizing antibody titers of previously USUV-exposed magpies differed significantly with respect to magpies that had not previously been exposed to USUV. However, 75% (6/8) of the USUV-exposed birds survived, while only 22.2% (2/9) of those not previously exposed to USUV survived. WNV antigen labeling by immunohistochemistry in tissues was less evident and more restricted in magpies exposed to USUV prior to challenge with WNV. Our data indicate that previous exposure to USUV partially protects magpies against a lethal challenge with WNV, while it does not prevent viremia and direct transmission, although the mechanism is unclear. These results are relevant for flavivirus ecology and contention.
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46
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Lauriano A, Rossi A, Galletti G, Casadei G, Santi A, Rubini S, Carra E, Lelli D, Calzolari M, Tamba M. West Nile and Usutu Viruses' Surveillance in Birds of the Province of Ferrara, Italy, from 2015 to 2019. Viruses 2021; 13:1367. [PMID: 34372573 DOI: 10.3390/v13071367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
West Nile (WNV) and Usutu (USUV) viruses are mosquito-borne flaviviruses. Thanks to their importance as zoonotic diseases, a regional plan for surveillance of Arboviruses was implemented in Emilia-Romagna in 2009. The province of Ferrara belongs to the Emilia-Romagna region, and it is an endemic territory for these viruses, with favorable ecological conditions for abundance of mosquitoes and wild birds. From 2015 to 2019, we collected 1842 dead-found birds at a wildlife rehabilitation center, which were analysed by three different PCRs for the detection of WNV and USUV genomes. August was characterized by the highest infection rate for both viruses. Columbiformes scored the highest USUV prevalence (8%), while Galliformes and Strigiformes reported the highest prevalence for WNV (13%). Among Passeriformes (the most populated Order), Turdus merula was the most abundant species and scored the highest prevalence for both viruses. To optimize passive surveillance plans, monitoring should be focused on the summer and towards the avian species more prone to infection by both viruses.
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47
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Wang H, Abbo SR, Visser TM, Westenberg M, Geertsema C, Fros JJ, Koenraadt CJM, Pijlman GP. Competition between Usutu virus and West Nile virus during simultaneous and sequential infection of Culex pipiens mosquitoes. Emerg Microbes Infect 2021; 9:2642-2652. [PMID: 33215969 PMCID: PMC7738303 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1854623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Usutu virus (USUV) and West Nile virus (WNV) are closely related mosquito-borne flaviviruses that are mainly transmitted between bird hosts by vector mosquitoes. Infections in humans are incidental but can cause severe disease. USUV is endemic in large parts of Europe, while WNV mainly circulates in Southern Europe. In recent years, WNV is also frequently detected in Northern Europe, thereby expanding the area where both viruses co-circulate. However, it remains unclear how USUV may affect the future spread of WNV and the likelihood of human co-infection. Here we investigated whether co-infections with both viruses in cell lines and their primary mosquito vector, Culex pipiens, affect virus replication and transmission dynamics. We show that USUV is outcompeted by WNV in mammalian, avian and mosquito cells during co-infection. Mosquitoes that were exposed to both viruses simultaneously via infectious blood meal displayed significantly reduced USUV transmission compared to mosquitoes that were only exposed to USUV (from 15% to 3%), while the infection and transmission of WNV was unaffected. In contrast, when mosquitoes were pre-infected with USUV via infectious blood meal, WNV transmission was significantly reduced (from 44% to 17%). Injection experiments established the involvement of the midgut in the observed USUV-mediated WNV inhibition. The competition between USUV and WNV during co-infection clearly indicates that the chance of concurrent USUV and WNV transmission via a single mosquito bite is low. The competitive relation between USUV and WNV may impact virus transmission dynamics in the field and affect the epidemiology of WNV in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haidong Wang
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Sandra R Abbo
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Tessa M Visser
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Marcel Westenberg
- Dutch National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO-NL), Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Corinne Geertsema
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Jelke J Fros
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Gorben P Pijlman
- Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
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48
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Kvapil P, Račnik J, Kastelic M, Pittermannová P, Avšič-Zupanc T, Bártová E, Sedlák K. Detection of Antibodies Against Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus and Other Flaviviruses in a Zoological Collection in Slovenia. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:688904. [PMID: 34250069 PMCID: PMC8264250 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.688904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Monitoring infectious diseases is one of the most important pillars of preventative veterinary medicine in zoological collections. The zoo environment offers a great variety of different animal species living in proximity and in contact with small wild animals and vectors (e.g., ticks and mosquitos). In this context, tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Usutu virus (USUV), and West Nile virus (WNV) causing vector-borne diseases are emerging pathogens that raise concern. The aim of the study was to detect antibodies to selected flaviviruses in various animal species in the Ljubljana Zoo, Slovenia. In total, 874 sera from 96 animal species were tested for antibodies to TBEV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA); positive samples were confirmed by a virus neutralization test (VNT) using TBEV, WNV, and USUV antigens. Antibodies to TBEV were detected by ELISA in 3.9% (34/874) of zoo animals, with 4% (30/753) in mammals and 5% (4/86) in birds; the sera of reptiles (n = 34) and amphibians (n = 1) were negative. Antibodies to TBEV were confirmed by VNT in 11 mammals; one bird was positive for both WNV and USUV. The mixture of exotic animal species and their contact with wild animals and vectors such as ticks and mosquitos suggest that screening of infectious diseases in zoo animals might provide good insight into the epizootological situation of the area. This is the first survey of TBEV, WNV, and USUV in a zoological collection in Slovenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Kvapil
- Ljubljana Zoo, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Joško Račnik
- Institute of Poultry, Birds, Small Mammals and Reptiles, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Pavlína Pittermannová
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Tatjana Avšič-Zupanc
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Eva Bártová
- Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Kamil Sedlák
- Department of Virology and Serology, State Veterinary Institute Prague, Prague, Czechia
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Bakran-Lebl K, Camp JV, Kolodziejek J, Weidinger P, Hufnagl P, Cabal Rosel A, Zwickelstorfer A, Allerberger F, Nowotny N. Diversity of West Nile and Usutu virus strains in mosquitoes at an international airport in Austria. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:2096-2109. [PMID: 34169666 PMCID: PMC9540796 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Increased globalization and international transportation have resulted in the inadvertent introduction of exotic mosquitoes and new mosquito‐borne diseases. International airports are among the possible points of entry for mosquitoes and their pathogens. We established a mosquito and mosquito‐borne diseases monitoring programme at the largest international airport in Austria and report the results for the first two years, 2018 and 2019. This included weekly monitoring and sampling of adult mosquitoes, and screening them for the presence of viral nucleic acids by standard molecular diagnostic techniques. Additionally, we surveyed the avian community at the airport, as birds are potentially amplifying hosts. In 2018, West Nile virus (WNV) was detected in 14 pools and Usutu virus (USUV) was detected in another 14 pools of mosquitoes (minimum infection rate [MIR] of 6.8 for each virus). Of these 28 pools, 26 consisted of female Culex pipiens/torrentium, and two contained male Culex sp. mosquitoes. Cx. pipiens/torrentium mosquitoes were the most frequently captured mosquito species at the airport. The detected WNV strains belonged to five sub‐clusters within the sub‐lineage 2d‐1, and all detected USUV strains were grouped to at least seven sub‐clusters among the cluster Europe 2; all strains were previously shown to be endemic in Austria. In 2019, all mosquito pools were negative for any viral nucleic acids tested. Our study suggests that airports may serve as foci of arbovirus activity, particularly during epidemic years, and should be considered when designing mosquito control and arbovirus monitoring programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Bakran-Lebl
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jeremy V Camp
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jolanta Kolodziejek
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pia Weidinger
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Hufnagl
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | - Adriana Cabal Rosel
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Franz Allerberger
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | - Norbert Nowotny
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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50
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Zelená H, Kleinerová J, Šikutová S, Straková P, Kocourková H, Stebel R, Husa P, Husa P, Tesařová E, Lejdarová H, Šebesta O, Juráš P, Ciupek R, Mrázek J, Rudolf I. First Autochthonous West Nile Lineage 2 and Usutu Virus Infections in Humans, July to October 2018, Czech Republic. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10060651. [PMID: 34073968 PMCID: PMC8225171 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10060651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We present epidemiological, clinical and laboratory findings of five Czech patients diagnosed with autochthonous mosquito-borne disease—four patients with confirmed West Nile virus (WNV) and one patient with Usutu virus (USUV) infections, from July to October 2018, including one fatal case due to WNV. This is the first documented human outbreak caused by WNV lineage 2 in the Czech Republic and the first record of a neuroinvasive human disease caused by USUV, which illustrates the simultaneous circulation of WNV and USUV in the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Zelená
- Public Health Institute, Partyzánské nám. 7, 702 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic; (H.Z.); (J.M.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Syllabova 19, 703 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Kleinerová
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Břeclav, U Nemocnice 3066/1, 690 74 Břeclav, Czech Republic;
| | - Silvie Šikutová
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic; (S.Š.); (P.S.)
| | - Petra Straková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic; (S.Š.); (P.S.)
- Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 70, 621 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Kocourková
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Brno, Jihlavská 20, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (H.K.); (R.S.); (P.H.); (P.H.J.)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Stebel
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Brno, Jihlavská 20, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (H.K.); (R.S.); (P.H.); (P.H.J.)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Husa
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Brno, Jihlavská 20, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (H.K.); (R.S.); (P.H.); (P.H.J.)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Husa
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Brno, Jihlavská 20, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (H.K.); (R.S.); (P.H.); (P.H.J.)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Tesařová
- Department of Health Insurance, University Hospital Brno, Jihlavská 20, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic;
| | - Hana Lejdarová
- Transfusion and Tissue Department, University Hospital Brno, Jihlavská 20, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic;
| | - Oldřich Šebesta
- Regional Public Health Authority of the Southern Moravia Region, Jeřábkova 4, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (O.Š.); (P.J.); (R.C.)
| | - Peter Juráš
- Regional Public Health Authority of the Southern Moravia Region, Jeřábkova 4, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (O.Š.); (P.J.); (R.C.)
| | - Renata Ciupek
- Regional Public Health Authority of the Southern Moravia Region, Jeřábkova 4, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (O.Š.); (P.J.); (R.C.)
| | - Jakub Mrázek
- Public Health Institute, Partyzánské nám. 7, 702 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic; (H.Z.); (J.M.)
| | - Ivo Rudolf
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65 Brno, Czech Republic; (S.Š.); (P.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +420-519-352-961; Fax: +420-519-352-387
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