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Streng K, Atama N, Chandler F, Blom R, van der Jeugd H, Schrama M, Koopmans MP, van der Poel WH, Sikkema RS. Sentinel chicken surveillance reveals previously undetected circulation of West Nile virus in the Netherlands. Emerg Microbes Infect 2024; 13:2406278. [PMID: 39295515 PMCID: PMC11441057 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2024.2406278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 09/11/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/21/2024]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) was first detected in the Netherlands in 2020, with circulation observed in birds, mosquitoes, and humans in two geographical areas. Usutu virus (USUV) has been circulating in the Netherlands since 2016. Following the detection of WNV in the Netherlands, we investigated the possible use of petting zoos as urban sentinel sites to examine the extent of WNV and USUV circulation around the two WNV outbreak locations. Chickens at petting zoos and in backyards were sampled within a 15-kilometer radius of the confirmed WNV circulation areas at three timepoints over one year (2021-2022). Sera were analysed using a protein microarray for binding antibodies to orthoflavivirus NS1 antigens and reactive samples were confirmed through micro-focus reduction neutralization tests (mFRNT). Furthermore, mosquitoes at sampling locations were collected to assess their blood feeding behaviour. This serosurvey detected the circulation of USUV and WNV in petting zoo and backyard chickens in 2021, both within and outside the 2020 outbreak areas. The WNV circulation was not detected by other existing surveillance schemes in mosquitoes, wild birds, horses and humans. In addition, the results show rapid decay of USUV antibodies in approximately 20 weeks. Our findings support the utility and the added value of petting zoo chickens as sentinels for monitoring USUV and WNV circulation compared to other available methods. Seroconversions observed in petting zoos and backyard chickens living in or near densely populated urban areas further highlighted potential public health risks that went undetected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiki Streng
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Rody Blom
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Henk van der Jeugd
- Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography, NIOO – KNAW, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Maarten Schrama
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Wim H.M. van der Poel
- Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Lelystad, the Netherlands
| | - Reina S. Sikkema
- Viroscience, ErasmusMC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography, NIOO – KNAW, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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2
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Kunkel MR, Mead DG, Ruder MG, Nemeth NM. Our current understanding of West Nile virus in upland game birds. WILDLIFE SOC B 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie R. Kunkel
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study University of Georgia 589 D.W. Brooks Drive Athens 30602 GA USA
| | - Daniel G. Mead
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study University of Georgia 589 D.W. Brooks Drive Athens 30602 GA USA
| | - Mark G. Ruder
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study University of Georgia 589 D.W. Brooks Drive Athens 30602 GA USA
| | - Nicole M. Nemeth
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study University of Georgia 589 D.W. Brooks Drive Athens 30602 GA USA
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Hopf C, Bunting E, Clark A, Childs-Sanford S. Survival and Release of 5 American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) Naturally Infected With West Nile Virus. J Avian Med Surg 2022; 36:85-91. [DOI: 10.1647/20-00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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West Nile and Usutu Virus Introduction via Migratory Birds: A Retrospective Analysis in Italy. Viruses 2022; 14:v14020416. [PMID: 35216009 PMCID: PMC8880244 DOI: 10.3390/v14020416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The actual contribution of migratory birds in spreading West Nile (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) across Europe and from Africa to old countries is still controversial. In this study, we reported the results of molecular and serological surveys on migrating birds sampled during peaks of spring and autumn migration at 11 Italian sites located along important flyways, from 2012 to 2014. A total of 1335 specimens made of individual or pooled sera, and organs from 275 dead birds were tested for WNV and USUV RNA by real time PCR (RT-PCR). Furthermore, sera were tested by serum neutralization assay for detecting WNV and USUV neutralizing antibodies. Molecular tests detected WNV lineage 2 RNA in a pool made of three Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) sera sampled in autumn, and lineage 1 in kidneys of six trans-Saharan birds sampled in spring. Neutralizing antibodies against WNV and USUV were found in 5.80% (n = 72; 17 bird species) and 0.32% (n = 4; 4 bird species) of the tested sera, respectively. Our results do not exclude the role of migratory birds as potential spreaders of WNV and USUV from Africa and Central Europe to Mediterranean areas and highlight the importance of a more extensive active surveillance of zoonotic viruses.
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WEST NILE VIRUS EXPOSURE AND INFECTION AMONG HUNTER-HARVESTED RUFFED GROUSE COHORTS IN A STABLE POPULATION. J Wildl Dis 2021; 58:30-39. [PMID: 34780646 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-21-00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) was introduced to North America two decades ago, but for many species, including Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus), the effects of WNV on individuals and populations remain poorly understood. Recent studies suggest the effect of WNV on Ruffed Grouse might vary among geographic regions, depending on habitat conditions. We studied WNV in Minnesota, US, during 2018-19, in a region known to have abundant Ruffed Grouse habitat and a population cycling around a stable long-term average. We worked with cooperating hunters to collect hearts, feathers, and blood on filter strips from birds harvested in the fall to examine exposure to the virus. We detected antibodies to WNV or a flavivirus (probably WNV) in 12.5% and 12.3% of birds in 2018 and 2019, respectively. However, we did not isolate the virus from any heart samples, indicating that exposed birds were not experiencing an active infection of WNV at the time of harvest. Our findings indicate that, although Minnesota Ruffed Grouse are exposed to WNV, some birds mount a successful immune response and survive. However, our sampling approach did not account for birds that might have become infected over the summer and died, so it is unknown how much WNV mortality occurred before the fall harvest. Birds lost to WNV over the summer could reduce the number of birds that hunters see in the fall, thus reducing the quality of their hunting experiences. Management options for mitigating WNV impacts and other stressors consist primarily of providing high-quality Ruffed Grouse habitat that produces birds in good condition that are more likely to recover from infection.
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Bravo-Barriga D, Aguilera-Sepúlveda P, Guerrero-Carvajal F, Llorente F, Reina D, Pérez-Martín JE, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ, Frontera E. West Nile and Usutu virus infections in wild birds admitted to rehabilitation centres in Extremadura, western Spain, 2017-2019. Vet Microbiol 2021; 255:109020. [PMID: 33677369 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2021.109020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging flavivirus transmitted generally by mosquitoes of Culex genus. It is maintained in an enzootic life cycle where birds act as reservoir hosts. Humans and horses are also susceptible to infection, and occasionally, they suffer from neurological complications. However, they do not transmit the virus to other vectors, behaving as dead-end hosts. Sporadic WNV outbreaks observed in horses and wild birds from Extremadura (western Spain) during 2016 and 2017 seasons prompted to carry out this survey in wild birds, focused on specimens coming from two wildlife rehabilitation centres. Between October 2017 and December 2019, samples from 391 wild birds, belonging to 56 different species were collected and analysed in search of evidence of WNV infection. The analysis of serum samples for WNV-specific antibodies by ELISA, whose specificity was subsequently confirmed by virus-neutralisation test (VNT) showed positive results in 18.23 % birds belonging to 18 different species. Pelecaniformes (33.33 %), Accipitriformes (25.77 %) and Strigiformes (22.92 %) orders had the higher seroprevalences. Remarkably, WNV-specific antibodies were found in a black stork for the first time in Europe. Analysis by real time RT-PCR in symptomatic birds confirmed the presence of WNV lineage 1 RNA in griffon vulture and little owls. Specificity analysis of ELISA positive and doubtful sera was performed by differential VNT titration against WNV and two other cross-reacting avian flaviviruses found in Spain: Usutu virus (USUV) and Bagaza virus (BAGV). Only four samples showed USUV-specific antibodies (1.04 %) corresponding to three species: Eurasian eagle-owl, griffon vulture and great bustard (first detection in Europe) whereas no samples were found reactive to BAGV. Differential VNT yielded undetermined flavivirus result in 16 samples (4.17 %). This is the first study carried out on wild birds from Extremadura (western Spain). It highlights the widespread circulation of WNV in the region and its co-circulation with USUV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Bravo-Barriga
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of Extremadura (UEx), Cáceres, Spain.
| | - Pilar Aguilera-Sepúlveda
- Animal Health Research Centre, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA-CISA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Francisco Llorente
- Animal Health Research Centre, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA-CISA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain.
| | - David Reina
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of Extremadura (UEx), Cáceres, Spain.
| | - J Enrique Pérez-Martín
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of Extremadura (UEx), Cáceres, Spain.
| | - Miguel Ángel Jiménez-Clavero
- Animal Health Research Centre, National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA-CISA), Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiologia y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Eva Frontera
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary Faculty, University of Extremadura (UEx), Cáceres, Spain.
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West Nile Virus: An Update on Pathobiology, Epidemiology, Diagnostics, Control and "One Health" Implications. Pathogens 2020; 9:pathogens9070589. [PMID: 32707644 PMCID: PMC7400489 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9070589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is an important zoonotic flavivirus responsible for mild fever to severe, lethal neuroinvasive disease in humans, horses, birds, and other wildlife species. Since its discovery, WNV has caused multiple human and animal disease outbreaks in all continents, except Antarctica. Infections are associated with economic losses, mainly due to the cost of treatment of infected patients, control programmes, and loss of animals and animal products. The pathogenesis of WNV has been extensively investigated in natural hosts as well as in several animal models, including rodents, lagomorphs, birds, and reptiles. However, most of the proposed pathogenesis hypotheses remain contentious, and much remains to be elucidated. At the same time, the unavailability of specific antiviral treatment or effective and safe vaccines contribute to the perpetuation of the disease and regular occurrence of outbreaks in both endemic and non-endemic areas. Moreover, globalisation and climate change are also important drivers of the emergence and re-emergence of the virus and disease. Here, we give an update of the pathobiology, epidemiology, diagnostics, control, and “One Health” implications of WNV infection and disease.
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Martin MF, Nisole S. West Nile Virus Restriction in Mosquito and Human Cells: A Virus under Confinement. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E256. [PMID: 32485916 PMCID: PMC7350012 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8020256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging neurotropic flavivirus that naturally circulates between mosquitoes and birds. However, WNV has a broad host range and can be transmitted from mosquitoes to several mammalian species, including humans, through infected saliva during a blood meal. Although WNV infections are mostly asymptomatic, 20% to 30% of cases are symptomatic and can occasionally lead to severe symptoms, including fatal meningitis or encephalitis. Over the past decades, WNV-carrying mosquitoes have become increasingly widespread across new regions, including North America and Europe, which constitutes a public health concern. Nevertheless, mosquito and human innate immune defenses can detect WNV infection and induce the expression of antiviral effectors, so-called viral restriction factors, to control viral propagation. Conversely, WNV has developed countermeasures to escape these host defenses, thus establishing a constant arms race between the virus and its hosts. Our review intends to cover most of the current knowledge on viral restriction factors as well as WNV evasion strategies in mosquito and human cells in order to bring an updated overview on WNV-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sébastien Nisole
- Viral Trafficking, Restriction and Innate Signaling Team, Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM), CNRS, 34090 Montpellier, France;
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Ribeiro GS, Hamer GL, Diallo M, Kitron U, Ko AI, Weaver SC. Influence of herd immunity in the cyclical nature of arboviruses. Curr Opin Virol 2020; 40:1-10. [PMID: 32193135 PMCID: PMC7434662 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2020.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
We review and contrast the evidence for an effect of amplifying host herd immunity on circulation and human exposure to arboviruses. Herd immunity of short-lived West Nile virus avian amplifying hosts appears to play a limited role in levels of enzootic circulation and spillover infections of humans, which are not amplifiers. In contrast, herd immunity of nonhuman primate hosts for enzootic Zika, dengue, and chikungunya viruses is much stronger and appears to regulate to a large extent the periodicity of sylvatic amplification in Africa. Following the recent Zika and chikungunya pandemics, human herd immunity in the Americas quickly rose to ∼50% in many regions, although seroprevalence remains patchy. Modeling from decades of chikungunya circulation in Asia suggests that this level of herd immunity will suppress for many years major chikungunya and Zika epidemics in the Americas, followed by smaller outbreaks as herd immunity cycles with a periodicity of up to several decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme S Ribeiro
- Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rua Waldemar Falcão, 121, Candeal, 40296-710, Salvador, BA, Brazil; Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Gabriel L Hamer
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | | | - Uriel Kitron
- Population Biology, Ecology, and Evolution Graduate Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Albert I Ko
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Scott C Weaver
- World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, 77555-0610 TX, USA.
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10
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Surveillance on antibodies against West Nile virus, Usutu virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus and Tribeč virus in wild birds in Drienovská wetland, Slovakia. Biologia (Bratisl) 2019. [DOI: 10.2478/s11756-019-00211-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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11
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Capoccia S, Boyle C, Darnell T. Loved or loathed, feral pigeons as subjects in ecological and social research. JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juy024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stella Capoccia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Montana Tech of the University of Montana, 1300 W. Park Street, Butte, MT, USA
| | - Callie Boyle
- Department of Biological Sciences, Montana Tech of the University of Montana, 1300 W. Park Street, Butte, MT, USA
| | - Tedd Darnell
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street Stop 9019, Grand Forks, ND, USA
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12
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Ahlers LRH, Goodman AG. The Immune Responses of the Animal Hosts of West Nile Virus: A Comparison of Insects, Birds, and Mammals. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2018; 8:96. [PMID: 29666784 PMCID: PMC5891621 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Vector-borne diseases, including arboviruses, pose a serious threat to public health worldwide. Arboviruses of the flavivirus genus, such as Zika virus (ZIKV), dengue virus, yellow fever virus (YFV), and West Nile virus (WNV), are transmitted to humans from insect vectors and can cause serious disease. In 2017, over 2,000 reported cases of WNV virus infection occurred in the United States, with two-thirds of cases classified as neuroinvasive. WNV transmission cycles through two different animal populations: birds and mosquitoes. Mammals, particularly humans and horses, can become infected through mosquito bites and represent dead-end hosts of WNV infection. Because WNV can infect diverse species, research on this arbovirus has investigated the host response in mosquitoes, birds, humans, and horses. With the growing geographical range of the WNV mosquito vector and increased human exposure, improved surveillance and treatment of the infection will enhance public health in areas where WNV is endemic. In this review, we survey the bionomics of mosquito species involved in Nearctic WNV transmission. Subsequently, we describe the known immune response pathways that counter WNV infection in insects, birds, and mammals, as well as the mechanisms known to curb viral infection. Moreover, we discuss the bacterium Wolbachia and its involvement in reducing flavivirus titer in insects. Finally, we highlight the similarities of the known immune pathways and identify potential targets for future studies aimed at improving antiviral therapeutic and vaccination design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura R H Ahlers
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Alan G Goodman
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States.,Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
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Strand TM, Lundkvist Å, Olsen B, Gustafsson L. Breeding consequences of flavivirus infection in the collared flycatcher. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:13. [PMID: 29402209 PMCID: PMC5800009 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1121-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The breeding consequences of virus infections have rarely been studied in avian natural breeding populations. In this paper we investigated the links between humoral immunity following a natural flavivirus infection and reproduction in a wild bird population of collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis). We analyzed plasma from 744 birds for antibodies and correlated these results to a number of reproductive components. Results Nearly one third (27.8%) of the sampled collared flycatchers were found seropositive for flavivirus. Males had significantly more frequently flavivirus antibodies (32.3%) than females (25.1%). Seropositive females differed significantly from seronegative females in four traits: they had earlier lay date, higher body weight, higher survival rate and were older than seronegative females. The females did not differ in clutch size, number of fledged young or number of recruited young. Seropositive males had female partners with earlier lay date, i.e. the males bred earlier and they also produced more fledged young than seronegative males. In contrast, the males did not differ in clutch size, number of recruited young, male weight, age or survival. Interestingly, seropositive males had larger ornament, forehead badge size, than seronegative males. Conclusions Collared flycatchers with an antibody response against flavivirus were more successful than birds with no antibody response, for any of the measured life history traits. The positive link between flavivirus antibody presence and life-history trait levels suggest that it is condition dependent in the collared flycatcher.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja M Strand
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala University, Box 582, SE-751 23, Uppsala, Sweden. .,Present Address: National Veterinary Institute (SVA), SE-75189, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Åke Lundkvist
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala University, Box 582, SE-751 23, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Björn Olsen
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars Gustafsson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala University, Box 582, SE-751 23, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Animal Ecology/ Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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14
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Ramos BA, Chiang JO, Martins LC, Chagas LLD, Silva FDAE, Ferreira MS, Freitas MNO, Alcantara BND, Silva SPD, Miranda SA, Sepulvreda BA, Corrêa LTG, Negrão AMG, Vasconcelos PFDC, Casseb ADR. Clinical and serological tests for arboviruses in free-living domestic pigeons (Columba livia). Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2017; 112:532-536. [PMID: 28767977 PMCID: PMC5530544 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760170014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In this study, we evaluated the role of free-living domestic pigeons (Columba livia) as a reservoir of arboviruses in the city of Belém, state of Pará, Brazil. We investigated the presence of antibodies against the most prevalent arboviruses. OBJECTIVES This study was aimed at evaluating some clinical and physical parameters of domestic pigeons, including the presence of antibodies to Amazon-endemic arboviruses. METHODS Eighty-five healthy pigeons were captured in Mangal das Garças Park, in Belém, and were bled. Upon capture, the birds were subjected to a clinical examination in search of alterations that could indicate the presence of arboviruses. Blood samples were converted to serum and tested using the haemagglutination inhibition (HI) technique with a panel of 19 antigens of arboviruses circulating in the Amazon. The confirmation assay for the positive reactions to the viral species tested by HI was a neutralisation test in new-born Swiss albino mice (Mus musculus) [mouse neutralisation test (MNT)]. FINDINGS A total of 10 (11.8%) serum samples tested positive for antiflavivirus antibodies by HI. All the samples positive for the HI test were subjected to MNT for detection of viruses and yielded negative results (logarithmic neutralisation index < 1.7). MAIN CONCLUSION The results represent the first serological detection of antiarbovirus antibodies in domestic pigeons as potential hosts of arboviruses in Brazil. The detection of haemagglutination-inhibiting antibodies against genus Flavivirus indicated that there was recent contact between the analysed domestic pigeons and these arboviruses. Further studies are needed to evaluate the role of free-living pigeons in the maintenance cycle and spread of arboviruses in the Amazon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Alves Ramos
- Universidade Federal do Pará, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Belém, PA, Brasil
| | - Jannifer Oliveira Chiang
- Instituto Evandro Chagas, Setor de Arbovirologia e Febres Hemorrágicas, Ananindeua, Pará, Brasil
| | - Lívia Carício Martins
- Instituto Evandro Chagas, Setor de Arbovirologia e Febres Hemorrágicas, Ananindeua, Pará, Brasil
| | - Liliane Leal das Chagas
- Instituto Evandro Chagas, Setor de Arbovirologia e Febres Hemorrágicas, Ananindeua, Pará, Brasil
| | - Franko de Arruda E Silva
- Instituto Evandro Chagas, Setor de Arbovirologia e Febres Hemorrágicas, Ananindeua, Pará, Brasil
| | - Milene Silveira Ferreira
- Instituto Evandro Chagas, Setor de Arbovirologia e Febres Hemorrágicas, Ananindeua, Pará, Brasil
| | | | | | - Sandro Patroca da Silva
- Instituto Evandro Chagas, Setor de Arbovirologia e Febres Hemorrágicas, Ananindeua, Pará, Brasil
| | | | | | - Layna Thayssa Guimarães Corrêa
- Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, Instituto da Saúde e Produção Animal, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Belém, PA, Brasil
| | - Andréa Maria Góes Negrão
- Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, Instituto da Saúde e Produção Animal, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Belém, PA, Brasil
| | | | - Alexandre do Rosário Casseb
- Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, Instituto da Saúde e Produção Animal, Laboratório de Biologia Molecular, Belém, PA, Brasil
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15
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Soltész Z, Erdélyi K, Bakonyi T, Barna M, Szentpáli-Gavallér K, Solt S, Horváth É, Palatitz P, Kotymán L, Dán Á, Papp L, Harnos A, Fehérvári P. West Nile virus host-vector-pathogen interactions in a colonial raptor. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:449. [PMID: 28962629 PMCID: PMC5622512 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2394-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Avian host species have different roles in the amplification and maintenance of West Nile virus (WNV), therefore identifying key taxa is vital in understanding WNV epidemics. Here, we present a comprehensive case study conducted on red-footed falcons, where host-vector, vector-virus and host-virus interactions were simultaneously studied to evaluate host species contribution to WNV circulation qualitatively. Results Mosquitoes were trapped inside red-footed falcon nest-boxes by a method originally developed for the capture of blackflies and midges. We showed that this approach is also efficient for trapping mosquitoes and that the number of trapped vectors is a function of host attraction. Brood size and nestling age had a positive effect on the number of attracted Culex pipiens individuals while the blood-feeding success rate of both dominant Culex species (Culex pipiens and Culex modestus) markedly decreased after the nestlings reached 14 days of age. Using RT-PCR, we showed that WNV was present in these mosquitoes with 4.2% (CI: 0.9–7.5%) prevalence. We did not detect WNV in any of the nestling blood samples. However, a relatively high seroprevalence (25.4% CI: 18.8–33.2%) was detected with an enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA). Using the ELISA OD ratios as a proxy to antibody titers, we showed that older seropositive nestlings have lower antibody levels than their younger conspecifics and that hatching order negatively influences antibody levels in broods with seropositive nestlings. Conclusions Red-footed falcons in the studied system are exposed to a local sylvatic WNV circulation, and the risk of infection is higher for younger nestlings. However, the lack of individuals with viremia and the high WNV seroprevalence, indicate that either host has a very short viremic period or that a large percentage of nestlings in the population receive maternal antibodies. This latter assumption is supported by the age and hatching order dependence of antibody levels found for seropositive nestlings. Considering the temporal pattern in mosquito feeding success, maternal immunity may be effective in protecting progeny against WNV infection despite the short antibody half-life measured in various other species. We conclude that red-footed falcons seem to have low WNV host competence and are unlikely to be effective virus reservoirs in the studied region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Soltész
- Lendület Ecosystem Services Research Group, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary. .,Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Károly Erdélyi
- National Food Chain Safety Office, Veterinary Diagnostic Directorate, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamás Bakonyi
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.,Viral Zoonoses, Emerging and Vector-Borne Infections Group, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mónika Barna
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Szabolcs Solt
- MME/BirdLife Hungary, Red-footed Falcon Conservation Working Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Éva Horváth
- MME/BirdLife Hungary, Red-footed Falcon Conservation Working Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Palatitz
- MME/BirdLife Hungary, Red-footed Falcon Conservation Working Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Ádám Dán
- National Food Chain Safety Office, Veterinary Diagnostic Directorate, Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Papp
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Biological Section, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Andrea Harnos
- Department of Biomathematics and Informatics, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Fehérvári
- Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Biomathematics and Informatics, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
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Evidence of exposure of laughing doves (Spilopelia senegalensis) to West Nile and Usutu viruses in southern Tunisian oases. Epidemiol Infect 2017; 145:2808-2816. [DOI: 10.1017/s0950268817001789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYIt has previously been suggested that southern Tunisian oases may be suitable areas for the circulation of flaviviruses. In order to anticipate and prevent possible epidemiological spread of flaviviruses in humans and domestic animals, the ecology of their transmission in the oasis system needs to be better understood. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of anti-flavivirus antibodies in the laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis), an abundant resident bird in Tunisian oases. Anti-flavivirus antibodies were detected in 17% of sampled doves. Ten per cent of the total tested doves were West Nile virus (WNV) seropositive and 4% were Usutu virus (USUV) seropositive, which provides the first evidence of USUV circulation in Tunisian birds. We also found that the occurrence probability of anti-flavivirus antibodies in dove plasma increased with decreasing distance to coast, suggesting that doves inhabiting coastal oases were more exposed to flaviviruses compared with those inhabiting inland oases. We also found significantly higher antibody occurrence probability in adult doves compared with young doves, which underlines the effect of exposure time. Overall, our results suggest that the laughing dove may be used for WNV and USUV surveillance in southern Tunisia. They also stress the need for investigations combining data on birds and mosquitoes to better understand the ecological factors governing the circulation of flaviviruses in this area.
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17
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Tamba M, Caminiti A, Prosperi A, Desprès P, Lelli D, Galletti G, Moreno A, Paternoster G, Santi A, Licata E, Lecollinet S, Gelmini L, Rugna G, Procopio A, Lavazza A. Accuracy estimation of an indirect ELISA for the detection of West Nile Virus antibodies in wild birds using a latent class model. J Virol Methods 2017; 248:202-206. [PMID: 28756236 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2017.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Revised: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV), genus Flavivirus, are members of the Japanese encephalitis virus antigenic complex, and are maintained primarily in an enzootic cycle between mosquitoes and birds. WNV is zoonotic, and poses a threat to public health, especially in relation to blood transfusion. Serosurveillance of wild birds is suitable for early detection of WNV circulation, although concerns remain to be addressed as regards i) the type of test used, whether ELISA, virus neutralization test (VNT), plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), ii) the reagents (antigens, revealing antibodies), iii) the different bird species involved, and iv) potential cross-reactions with other Flaviviruses, such as USUV. The authors developed an indirect IgG ELISA with pan-avian specificity using EDIII protein as antigen and a monoclonal antibody (mAb 1A3) with broad reactivity for avian IgG. A total of 140 serum samples were collected from juvenile European magpies (Pica pica) in areas where both WNV and USUV were co-circulating. The samples were then tested using this in-house ELISA and VNT in parallel. Estimation of test accuracy was performed using different Bayesian two latent class models. At a cut-off set at an optical density percentage (OD%) of 15, the ELISA showed a posterior median of diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) of 88% (95%PCI: 73-99%) and a diagnostic specificity (DSp) of 86% (95%PCI: 68-99%). At this cut-off, ELISA and VNT (cut-off 1/10) performances were comparable: DSe=91% (95%PCI: 79-99%), and DSp=77% (95%PCI: 59-98%). With the cut-off increased to 30 OD%, the ELISA DSe dropped to 78% (95%PCI: 52-99%), and the DSp rose to 94% (95%PCI: 83-100%). In field conditions, the cut-off that yields the best accuracy for the ELISA appears to correspond to 15 OD%. In areas where other Flaviviruses are circulating, however, it might be appropriate to raise the cut-off to 30 OD% in order to achieve higher specificity and reduce the detection of seropositive birds infected by other Flaviviruses, such as USUV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Tamba
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna. Via Antonio Bianchi, 7. 25126 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Antonino Caminiti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna. Via Antonio Bianchi, 7. 25126 Brescia, Italy
| | - Alice Prosperi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna. Via Antonio Bianchi, 7. 25126 Brescia, Italy
| | - Philippe Desprès
- La Reunion island University and UM 134 PIMIT, Technology platform CYROI, 97491, Sainte-Clotilde, France
| | - Davide Lelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna. Via Antonio Bianchi, 7. 25126 Brescia, Italy
| | - Giorgio Galletti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna. Via Antonio Bianchi, 7. 25126 Brescia, Italy
| | - Ana Moreno
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna. Via Antonio Bianchi, 7. 25126 Brescia, Italy
| | - Giulia Paternoster
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna. Via Antonio Bianchi, 7. 25126 Brescia, Italy
| | - Annalisa Santi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna. Via Antonio Bianchi, 7. 25126 Brescia, Italy
| | - Elio Licata
- Local Health Unit of Modena, Public Health Department. Strada Martiniana, 21.41126, Baggiovara, Modena, Italy
| | - Sylvie Lecollinet
- UMR Virologie, ANSES, INRA, ENVA, Université Paris-Est, 14, rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Luca Gelmini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna. Via Antonio Bianchi, 7. 25126 Brescia, Italy
| | - Gianluca Rugna
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna. Via Antonio Bianchi, 7. 25126 Brescia, Italy
| | - Anna Procopio
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna. Via Antonio Bianchi, 7. 25126 Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonio Lavazza
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna. Via Antonio Bianchi, 7. 25126 Brescia, Italy
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Camacho M, Hernández JM, Lima-Barbero JF, Höfle U. Use of wildlife rehabilitation centres in pathogen surveillance: A case study in white storks (Ciconia ciconia). Prev Vet Med 2016; 130:106-11. [PMID: 27435653 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2016.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Revised: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
More than 70% of new human pathogens are zoonotic and many originate from the wildlife reservoir. Wildlife rehabilitation centres (WRC) are an easily accessible source for sample and data collection for preventive surveillance, but data collected this way may be biased. We use white storks (Ciconia ciconia) as a model to compare pathogen prevalence obtained in the field and WRC. We address factors that may affect disease prevalence data like origin, the age group and the "diseased" state of WRC admissions. In this study we compared prevalence of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. in the digestive tract; antibodies against West Nile virus, avian influenza and Newcastle disease virus, and antimicrobial resistance patterns of E. coli between nestling and adult wild storks established in different habitats (n=90) and storks admitted to two different WRC (n=30) in the same region. When age groups and colonies of origin were disregarded, the mean enterobacteria (E. coli, Salmonella) and viral antibody prevalence of the wild population (n=90) were similar to prevalence observed in the individuals admitted to WRC (n=30). However, in fledgling juvenile storks admitted to WRC, the prevalence of Salmonella spp. (13.3%), E. coli showing resistance to cefotaxime (37.9%) and against two antimicrobials at once (41.4%) were more similar to the prevalence in stork nestlings from landfill-associated colonies (7.9%, 37.1% and 48.6%, respectively for prevalence of Salmonella spp. and E. coli displaying, cefotaxime resistance and resistance against two antimicrobials), and significantly higher than in colonies located in natural habitats (0%; 10.5% and 15.8%, respectively). Thus, pathogen surveillance in individuals from an abundant species admitted to WRC is useful to monitor overall mean prevalence, but for certain pathogens may not be sufficient to detect differences between local populations. In addition, the ecology of the tested species and the specific temporal, spatial and age group distribution of WRC admissions have to be taken into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- MariaCruz Camacho
- SaBio Working Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain.
| | | | - Jose Francisco Lima-Barbero
- SaBio Working Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain.
| | - Ursula Höfle
- SaBio Working Group, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain.
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SUSCEPTIBILITY AND ANTIBODY RESPONSE OF VESPER SPARROWS (POOECETES GRAMINEUS) TO WEST NILE VIRUS: A POTENTIAL AMPLIFICATION HOST IN SAGEBRUSH-GRASSLAND HABITAT. J Wildl Dis 2016; 52:345-53. [PMID: 26981692 DOI: 10.7589/2015-06-148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) spread to the US western plains states in 2003, when a significant mortality event attributed to WNV occurred in Greater Sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ). The role of avian species inhabiting sagebrush in the amplification of WNV in arid and semiarid regions of the North America is unknown. We conducted an experimental WNV challenge study in Vesper Sparrows ( Pooecetes gramineus ), a species common to sagebrush and grassland habitats found throughout much of North America. We found Vesper Sparrows to be moderately susceptible to WNV, developing viremia considered sufficient to transmit WNV to feeding mosquitoes, but the majority of birds were capable of surviving infection and developing a humoral immune response to the WNV nonstructural 1 and envelope proteins. Despite clearance of viremia, after 6 mo, WNV was detected molecularly in three birds and cultured from one bird. Surviving Vesper Sparrows were resistant to reinfection 6 mo after the initial challenge. Vesper sparrows could play a role in the amplification of WNV in sagebrush habitat and other areas of their range, but rapid clearance of WNV may limit their importance as competent amplification hosts of WNV.
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20
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Staley M, Bonneaud C. Immune responses of wild birds to emerging infectious diseases. Parasite Immunol 2015; 37:242-54. [PMID: 25847450 DOI: 10.1111/pim.12191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Over the past several decades, outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) in wild birds have attracted worldwide media attention, either because of their extreme virulence or because of alarming spillovers into agricultural animals or humans. The pathogens involved have been found to infect a variety of bird hosts ranging from relatively few species (e.g. Trichomonas gallinae) to hundreds of species (e.g. West Nile Virus). Here we review and contrast the immune responses that wild birds are able to mount against these novel pathogens. We discuss the extent to which these responses are associated with reduced clinical symptoms, pathogen load and mortality, or conversely, how they can be linked to worsened pathology and reduced survival. We then investigate how immune responses to EIDs can evolve over time in response to pathogen-driven selection using the illustrative case study of the epizootic outbreak of Mycoplasma gallisepticum in wild North American house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus). We highlight the need for future work to take advantage of the substantial inter- and intraspecific variation in disease progression and outcome following infections with EID to elucidate the extent to which immune responses confer increased resistance through pathogen clearance or may instead heighten pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Staley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
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21
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Serological evidence for the circulation of flaviviruses in seabird populations of the western Indian Ocean. Epidemiol Infect 2015; 144:652-60. [PMID: 26194365 DOI: 10.1017/s0950268815001661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds play a central role in the epidemiology of several flaviviruses of concern for public and veterinary health. Seabirds represent the most abundant and widespread avifauna in the western Indian Ocean and may play an important role as host reservoirs and spreaders of arthropod-borne pathogens such as flaviviruses. We report the results of a serological investigation based on blood samples collected from nine seabird species from seven islands in the Indian Ocean. Using a commercial competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay directed against the prototypic West Nile flavivirus, antibodies against flaviviruses were detected in the serum of 47 of the 855 seabirds tested. They were detected in bird samples from three islands and from four bird species. Seroneutralization tests on adults and chicks suggested that great frigatebirds (Fregata minor) from Europa were infected by West Nile virus during their non-breeding period, and that Usutu virus probably circulated within bird colonies on Tromelin and on Juan de Nova. Real-time polymerase chain reactions performed on bird blood samples did not yield positive results precluding the genetic characterization of flavivirus using RNA sequencing. Our findings stress the need to further investigate flavivirus infections in arthropod vectors present in seabird colonies.
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22
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Llopis IV, Rossi L, Di Gennaro A, Mosca A, Teodori L, Tomassone L, Grego E, Monaco F, Lorusso A, Savini G. Further circulation of West Nile and Usutu viruses in wild birds in Italy. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2015; 32:292-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2015.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Revised: 03/16/2015] [Accepted: 03/21/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Abstract
Antibody duration, following a humoral immune response to West Nile virus (WNV) infection, is poorly understood in free-ranging avian hosts. Quantifying antibody decay rate is important for interpreting serologic results and for understanding the potential for birds to serorevert and become susceptible again. We sampled free-ranging birds in Chicago, Illinois, US, from 2005 to 2011 and Atlanta, Georgia, US, from 2010 to 2012 to examine the dynamics of antibody decay following natural WNV infection. Using serial dilutions in a blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we quantified WNV antibody titer in repeated blood samples from individual birds over time. We quantified a rate of antibody decay for 23 Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) of 0.198 natural log units per month and 24 individuals of other bird species of 0.178 natural log units per month. Our results suggest that juveniles had a higher rate of antibody decay than adults, which is consistent with nonlinear antibody decay at different times postexposure. Overall, most birds had undetectable titers 2 yr postexposure. Nonuniform WNV antibody decay rates in free-ranging birds underscore the need for cautious interpretation of avian serology results in the context of arbovirus surveillance and epidemiology.
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Johnson GD, Bahnson CS, Ishii P, Cochrane ZN, Hokit DG, Plummer PJ, Bartholomay LC, Blitvich BJ. Monitoring sheep and Culicoides midges in Montana for evidence of Bunyamwera serogroup virus infection. Vet Rec Open 2014; 1:e000071. [PMID: 26392881 PMCID: PMC4562451 DOI: 10.1136/vetreco-2014-000071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Revised: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction A serological and entomological investigation was performed to monitor for potential Bunyamwera (BUN) serogroup virus activity in Montana. Results To facilitate the serological investigation, sera were collected from 104 sheep in 2013 and 2014 and assayed by plaque reduction neutralization test using all six BUN serogroup viruses known to occur in the United States: Cache Valley virus (CVV), Lokern virus (LOKV), Main Drain virus (MDV), Northway virus, Potosi virus and Tensaw virus. BUN serogroup virus-specific antibodies were detected in 41 (39%) sheep. Of these, three were seropositive for MDV, one was seropositive for CVV, one was seropositive for LOKV and 36 had antibodies to an undetermined BUN serogroup virus. Additionally, 30,606 Culicoides sonorensis were collected in 2013 using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light traps and assayed for cytopathic virus by virus isolation in African Green Monkey kidney (Vero) cells. All midges were negative. Almost one-third of the midges were further tested by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction using BUN serogroup virus-reactive primers and all were negative. Conclusions We provide evidence of BUN serogroup virus infection in sheep but not C. sonorensis in Montana in 2013-2014. This study also provides the first evidence of CVV, MDV and LOKV activity in Montana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory D Johnson
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences , Montana State University , Bozeman, Montana , USA
| | - Charlie S Bahnson
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine , College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University , Ames, Iowa , USA
| | - Patricia Ishii
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine , College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University , Ames, Iowa , USA
| | - Zachary N Cochrane
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine , College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University , Ames, Iowa , USA
| | - D Grant Hokit
- Department of Natural Science , Carroll College , Helena, Montana , USA
| | - Paul J Plummer
- Department of Veterinary and Diagnostic Production Animal Medicine , College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University , Ames, Iowa , USA
| | - Lyric C Bartholomay
- Department of Entomology , College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Iowa State University , Ames, Iowa , USA
| | - Bradley J Blitvich
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine , College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University , Ames, Iowa , USA
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Ramos R, Garnier R, González-Solís J, Boulinier T. Long antibody persistence and transgenerational transfer of immunity in a long-lived vertebrate. Am Nat 2014; 184:764-76. [PMID: 25438176 DOI: 10.1086/678400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Although little studied in natural populations, the persistence of immunoglobulins may dramatically affect the dynamics of immunity and the ecology and evolution of host-pathogen interactions involving vertebrate hosts. By means of a multiple-year vaccination design against Newcastle disease virus, we experimentally addressed whether levels of specific antibodies can persist over several years in females of a long-lived procellariiform seabird-Cory's shearwater-and whether maternal antibodies against that antigen could persist over a long period in offspring several years after the mother was exposed. We found that a single vaccination led to high levels of antibodies for several years and that the females transmitted antibodies to their offspring that persisted for several weeks after hatching even 5 years after a single vaccination. The temporal persistence of maternally transferred antibodies in nestlings was highly dependent on the level at hatching. A second vaccination boosted efficiently the level of antibodies in females and thus their transfer to offspring. Overall, these results stress the need to consider the temporal dynamics of immune responses if we are to understand the evolutionary ecology of host-parasite interactions and trade-offs between immunity and other life-history characteristics, in particular in long-lived species. They also have strong implications for conservation when vaccination may be used in natural populations facing disease threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raül Ramos
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS-Université Montpellier Unité Mixte de Recherche 5175, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
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Association between agricultural land use and West Nile virus antibody prevalence in Iowa birds. J Wildl Dis 2014; 49:869-78. [PMID: 24502714 DOI: 10.7589/2012-10-263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In the Plains states of the central United States, research suggests that the prevalence of West Nile virus (WNV) disease in humans is higher in agricultural areas than in nonagricultural areas. In contrast, there is limited information about WNV exposure in birds, the primary amplifying host of WNV, in agriculturally dominated landscapes. We evaluated whether exposure to WNV in peridomestic birds sampled in central Iowa varied with the proportion of land use devoted to agriculture. Over the summers of 2009 and 2010, we captured birds in sites comprising gradients of agricultural, urban, and natural land uses, and tested their sera for antibodies to WNV. Overall, WNV antibody prevalence was low (2.3%). Our results suggest that agricultural land use had minimal influence on WNV exposure in birds. We conclude that birds are not likely to be useful indicators of WNV activity in agricultural areas in the Plains states despite human risk being highest in those areas. Antibody prevalence for WNV, however, was higher in American Robins, Mourning Doves, and Northern Cardinals than in other species, making these species potentially useful for monitoring WNV activity in the US Plains states.
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Dusek RJ, Hagen CA, Franson JC, Budeau DA, Hofmeister EK. Utilizing hunter harvest effort to survey for wildlife disease: A case study of West Nile virus in greater sage-grouse. WILDLIFE SOC B 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Dusek
- United States Geological Survey; National Wildlife Health Center; 6006 Schroeder Road Madison WI 53711 USA
| | - Christian A. Hagen
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 61374 Parrell Road Bend OR 97702 USA
| | - J. Christian Franson
- United States Geological Survey; National Wildlife Health Center; 6006 Schroeder Road Madison WI 53711 USA
| | - David A. Budeau
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE Salem OR 97302 USA
| | - Erik K. Hofmeister
- United States Geological Survey; National Wildlife Health Center; 6006 Schroeder Road Madison WI 53711 USA
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Circulation of a Meaban-like virus in yellow-legged gulls and seabird ticks in the western Mediterranean basin. PLoS One 2014; 9:e89601. [PMID: 24625959 PMCID: PMC3953012 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Accepted: 01/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, a number of zoonotic flaviviruses have emerged worldwide, and wild birds serve as their major reservoirs. Epidemiological surveys of bird populations at various geographical scales can clarify key aspects of the eco-epidemiology of these viruses. In this study, we aimed at exploring the presence of flaviviruses in the western Mediterranean by sampling breeding populations of the yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis), a widely distributed, anthropophilic, and abundant seabird species. For 3 years, we sampled eggs from 19 breeding colonies in Spain, France, Algeria, and Tunisia. First, ELISAs were used to determine if the eggs contained antibodies against flaviviruses. Second, neutralization assays were used to identify the specific flaviviruses present. Finally, for colonies in which ELISA-positive eggs had been found, chick serum samples and potential vectors, culicid mosquitoes and soft ticks (Ornithodoros maritimus), were collected and analyzed using serology and PCR, respectively. The prevalence of flavivirus-specific antibodies in eggs was highly spatially heterogeneous. In northeastern Spain, on the Medes Islands and in the nearby village of L'Escala, 56% of eggs had antibodies against the flavivirus envelope protein, but were negative for neutralizing antibodies against three common flaviviruses: West Nile, Usutu, and tick-borne encephalitis viruses. Furthermore, little evidence of past flavivirus exposure was obtained for the other colonies. A subset of the Ornithodoros ticks from Medes screened for flaviviral RNA tested positive for a virus whose NS5 gene was 95% similar to that of Meaban virus, a flavivirus previously isolated from ticks of Larus argentatus in western France. All ELISA-positive samples subsequently tested positive for Meaban virus neutralizing antibodies. This study shows that gulls in the western Mediterranean Basin are exposed to a tick-borne Meaban-like virus, which underscores the need of exploring the spatial and temporal distribution of this flavivirus as well as its potential pathogenicity for animals and humans.
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Experimental infections of wild birds with West Nile virus. Viruses 2014; 6:752-81. [PMID: 24531334 PMCID: PMC3939481 DOI: 10.3390/v6020752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2013] [Revised: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 02/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Avian models of West Nile virus (WNV) disease have become pivotal in the study of infection pathogenesis and transmission, despite the intrinsic constraints that represents this type of experimental research that needs to be conducted in biosecurity level 3 (BSL3) facilities. This review summarizes the main achievements of WNV experimental research carried out in wild birds, highlighting advantages and limitations of this model. Viral and host factors that determine the infection outcome are analyzed in detail, as well as recent discoveries about avian immunity, viral transmission, and persistence achieved through experimental research. Studies of laboratory infections in the natural host will help to understand variations in susceptibility and reservoir competence among bird species, as well as in the epidemiological patterns found in different affected areas.
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Chaintoutis SC, Dovas CI, Papanastassopoulou M, Gewehr S, Danis K, Beck C, Lecollinet S, Antalis V, Kalaitzopoulou S, Panagiotopoulos T, Mourelatos S, Zientara S, Papadopoulos O. Evaluation of a West Nile virus surveillance and early warning system in Greece, based on domestic pigeons. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2014; 37:131-41. [PMID: 24503179 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2014.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2013] [Revised: 01/06/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In the summer of 2010 an epidemic of West Nile virus (WNV) occurred in Central Macedonia, Greece, with 197 human neuroinvasive disease (WNND) cases. In the following years the virus spread to new areas, with a total of 76 WNND cases in 2011, and 109 WNND cases in 2012 (14 and 12 WNND cases, respectively, in Central Macedonia). We established a surveillance system based on serological testing of domestic pigeons, using cELISA confirmed by serum neutralization test. In Central Macedonia, pigeon seroprevalence was 54% (95% CI: 49-59%) and 31% (95% CI: 24-37%) at the end of the 2010 and 2011 epidemic seasons, respectively. One serum was positive for neutralizing antibodies directed against Usutu virus. Pigeon WNV seroprevalence and incidence rates of human WNND after the 2010 epidemic were positively correlated (ρ=0.94, at the regional unit level), while in 2011 the correlation (ρ=0.56) was not statistically significant, possibly due to small number of human WNND cases recorded. To evaluate the efficacy of the system at alerting upon WNV enzootic circulation before the onset of human cases, we tested 270 pigeons in 2011 and 240 pigeons in 2012. In Central Macedonia, the first seroconversions in pigeons were recorded 44 and 47 days, respectively, before the first human WNND cases. Pigeon surveillance was used successfully for identification of areas with WNV enzootic transmission and for early warning. Timely diffusion of information to health authorities facilitated the implementation of preparedness plans to protect public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serafeim C Chaintoutis
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Chrysostomos I Dovas
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Maria Papanastassopoulou
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Sandra Gewehr
- Ecodevelopment S.A. - Environmental Applications, Filyro, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Kostas Danis
- Department of Surveillance and Intervention, Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 15123 Athens, Greece
| | - Cécile Beck
- European Reference Laboratory for Equine Diseases, UPEC, UMR 1161 Virology, INRA, ANSES, ENVA, 94704 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Sylvie Lecollinet
- European Reference Laboratory for Equine Diseases, UPEC, UMR 1161 Virology, INRA, ANSES, ENVA, 94704 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Vasilis Antalis
- Ecodevelopment S.A. - Environmental Applications, Filyro, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Stella Kalaitzopoulou
- Ecodevelopment S.A. - Environmental Applications, Filyro, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Takis Panagiotopoulos
- Department of Surveillance and Intervention, Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 15123 Athens, Greece; Department of Child Health, National School of Public Health, 11521 Athens, Greece
| | - Spiros Mourelatos
- Ecodevelopment S.A. - Environmental Applications, Filyro, 57010 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Stéphan Zientara
- European Reference Laboratory for Equine Diseases, UPEC, UMR 1161 Virology, INRA, ANSES, ENVA, 94704 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Orestis Papadopoulos
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
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Panella NA, Young G, Komar N. Experimental infection of Eurasian collared-dove (Streptopelia decaocto) with West Nile virus. JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY : JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR VECTOR ECOLOGY 2013; 38:210-214. [PMID: 24581347 DOI: 10.1111/j.1948-7134.2013.12032.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2013] [Accepted: 04/11/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The Eurasian collared-dove (Streptopelia decaocto) has recently experienced a population explosion in North America. It is frequently infected with West Nile virus (WNV). To test the hypothesis that the Eurasian collared-dove is competent to transmit WNV, we experimentally infected two cohorts of doves with two different strains of WNV, CO08, and NY99, respectively. Both virus strains induced a low-level viremia, capable of infecting a small fraction of vector mosquitoes. We suggest that the Eurasian collared-dove plays a relatively insignificant role as an amplifying host for WNV, but it may be important where it is locally abundant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Panella
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Vector Borne Diseases, Arbovirus Diseases Branch, Fort Collins, CO 80521, U.S.A..
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Abstract
We captured 140 bats of seven species in Merida City in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico in 2010. Serum was collected from each bat and assayed by plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) using six flaviviruses: West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, and dengue viruses 1-4. Flavivirus-specific antibodies were detected in 26 bats (19%). The antibody-positive bats belonged to three species: the Pallas's long-tongued bat (Glossophaga soricina), Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis), and great fruit-eating bat (Artibeus lituratus), and their flavivirus antibody prevalences were 33%, 24%, and 9%, respectively. The PRNT titers were usually highest for dengue virus 2 or dengue virus 4, but none of the titers exceeded 80. These data could indicate that most of the antibody-positive bats had been infected with dengue virus. However, because all titers were low, it is possible that the bats had been infected with another (perhaps unrecognized) flavivirus not included in the PRNT analysis, possibly a virus more closely related to dengue virus than to other flaviviruses. Each serum sample was assayed for flavivirus RNA by reverse transcription PCR, but all were negative.
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Nemeth NM, Oesterle PT. West Nile virus from an avian conservation perspective. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/izy.12031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N. M. Nemeth
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine; University of Georgia; Athens Georgia 30602 USA
- Department of Pathobiology; Ontario Veterinary College; University of Guelph; Guelph Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
| | - P. T. Oesterle
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine; University of Georgia; Athens Georgia 30602 USA
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Gamino V, Höfle U. Pathology and tissue tropism of natural West Nile virus infection in birds: a review. Vet Res 2013; 44:39. [PMID: 23731695 PMCID: PMC3686667 DOI: 10.1186/1297-9716-44-39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2013] [Accepted: 04/24/2013] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is a globally distributed arthropod-borne flavivirus capable of infecting a wide variety of vertebrates, with birds as its natural reservoir. Although it had been considered a pathogen of little importance for birds, from the 1990's, and especially after its introduction in the North American continent in 1999, thousands of birds have succumbed to West Nile infection. This review summarizes the pathogenesis and pathology of WNV infection in birds highlighting differences in lesion and antigen distribution and severity among bird orders and families. Despite significant species differences in susceptibility to infection, WNV associated lesions and viral antigen are present in the majority of organs of infected birds. The non-progressive, acute or more prolonged course of the disease accounts for part of the differences in lesion and viral antigen distribution and lesion severity. Most likely a combination of host variables and environmental factors in addition to the intrinsic virulence and pathogenicity of the infecting WNV strain influence the pathogenesis of the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Gamino
- SaBio Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC, (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM) Ronda de Toledo s/n, Ciudad Real 13005, Spain
| | - Ursula Höfle
- SaBio Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC, (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM) Ronda de Toledo s/n, Ciudad Real 13005, Spain
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35
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Sovada MA, Pietz PJ, Hofmeister EK, Bartos AJ. West Nile virus in American White Pelican chicks: transmission, immunity, and survival. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2013; 88:1152-8. [PMID: 23530073 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.12-0408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) causes significant mortality of American White Pelican chicks at northern plains colonies. We tested oropharyngeal/cloacal swabs from moribund chicks for shed WNV. Such shedding could enable chick-to-chick transmission and help explain why WNV spreads rapidly in colonies. WNV was detected on swabs from 11% of chicks in 2006 and 52% of chicks in 2007; however, viral titers were low. Before onset of WNV mortality, we tested blood from < 3-week-old chicks for antibodies to WNV; 5% of chicks were seropositive, suggesting passive transfer of maternal antibodies. Among near-fledged chicks, 41% tested positive for anti-WNV antibodies, indicating that they survived infection. Among years and colonies, cumulative incidence of WNV in chicks varied from 28% to 81%, whereas the proportion of chicks surviving WNV (i.e., seropositive) was 64-75%. Our data revealed that WNV kills chicks that likely would fledge in the absence of WNV, that infection of chicks is pervasive, and that significant numbers of chicks survive infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marsha A Sovada
- US Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND 58401, USA.
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36
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Garnier R, Ramos R, Staszewski V, Militão T, Lobato E, González-Solís J, Boulinier T. Maternal antibody persistence: a neglected life-history trait with implications from albatross conservation to comparative immunology. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:2033-41. [PMID: 22189405 PMCID: PMC3311891 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.2277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2011] [Accepted: 12/01/2011] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of different life-history strategies has been suggested as a major force constraining physiological mechanisms such as immunity. In some long-lived oviparous species, a prolonged persistence of maternal antibodies in offspring could thus be expected in order to protect them over their long growth period. Here, using an intergenerational vaccination design, we show that specific maternal antibodies can display an estimated half-life of 25 days post-hatching in the nestlings of a long-lived bird. This temporal persistence is much longer than previously known for birds and it suggests specific properties in the regulation of IgY immunoglobulin catabolism in such a species. We also show that maternal antibodies in the considered procellariiform species are functional as late as 20 days of age. Using a modelling approach, we highlight that the potential impact of such effects on population viability could be important, notably when using vaccination for conservation. These results have broad implications, from comparative immunology to evolutionary eco-epidemiology and conservation biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Garnier
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS-UMR 5175, Montpellier, France
| | - R. Ramos
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS-UMR 5175, Montpellier, France
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Dept. Biologia Animal, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - V. Staszewski
- Centre for Immunity Infection and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - T. Militão
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Dept. Biologia Animal, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - E. Lobato
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS-UMR 5175, Montpellier, France
| | - J. González-Solís
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Dept. Biologia Animal, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - T. Boulinier
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS-UMR 5175, Montpellier, France
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Jacquin L, Blottière L, Haussy C, Perret S, Gasparini J. Prenatal and postnatal parental effects on immunity and growth in ‘lactating’ pigeons. Funct Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.01988.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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38
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Fereidouni SR, Ziegler U, Linke S, Niedrig M, Modirrousta H, Hoffmann B, Groschup MH. West Nile virus monitoring in migrating and resident water birds in Iran: are common coots the main reservoirs of the virus in wetlands? Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2011; 11:1377-81. [PMID: 21923253 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2010.0244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A molecular and serological study was carried out to determine the West Nile virus (WNV) status in different species of wild water birds. From 2003 to 2007, samples were collected from 519 birds representing 26 different species in Iran. Out of 519 serum samples tested for WNV antibodies, 78 (15%) were positive when tested using virus neutralization and immunofluorescence. Antibodies of WNV were detected in 71 out of 131 common coot (Fulica atra) samples. In comparison, only 7 out of 388 birds that were belonged to 25 other species of water birds revealed positive results. For most Anatidae species, no positive duck in serological tests was found. Further, no WNV viral RNA-positive samples were found in this study. Results of this investigation provide important information about the prevalence of WNV in wild water birds in Iran and indicate the potential role and importance of common coots in ecology of WNVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasan R Fereidouni
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, Greifswald-Insel-Riems, Germany.
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39
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García-Bocanegra I, Busquets N, Napp S, Alba A, Zorrilla I, Villalba R, Arenas A. Serosurvey of West Nile Virus and Other Flaviviruses of the Japanese Encephalitis Antigenic Complex in Birds from Andalusia, Southern Spain. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2011; 11:1107-13. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2009.0237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio García-Bocanegra
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, UCO, Campus Universitarios de Rabanales, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Núria Busquets
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sebastián Napp
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Alba
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), UAB-IRTA, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irene Zorrilla
- Centro de Análisis y Diagnóstico de la Fauna Silvestre (CAD), Conserjería de Medio Ambiente (EGMASA), Junta de Andalucía, Spain
| | - Rubén Villalba
- Laboratorio Central de Veterinaria, Algete (Madrid), Spain
| | - Antonio Arenas
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, UCO, Campus Universitarios de Rabanales, Córdoba, Spain
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Fair JM, Nemeth NM, Taylor-McCabe KJ, Shou Y, Marrone BL. Clinical and acquired immunologic responses to West Nile virus infection of domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus). Poult Sci 2011; 90:328-36. [PMID: 21248329 DOI: 10.3382/ps.2010-00809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous bird species are highly susceptible to North American strains of West Nile virus (WNV), and although domestic chickens are relatively resistant to WNV-associated disease, this species currently represents the most practical avian model for immune responses to WNV infection. Knowledge of the immunomodulation of susceptibility to WNV in birds is important for understanding taxonomic differences in infection outcomes. While focusing on immunophenotyping of CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), and CD45(+) lymphocyte subpopulations, we compared lymphocyte subpopulations, blood chemistries, cloacal temperatures, IgM and IgG antibody titers, and differential whole-blood cell counts of WNV-infected and uninfected hens. Total blood calcium and lymphocyte numbers were lower in WNV-infected chickens compared with uninfected chickens. The heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio increased over time from 2 to 22 d postinoculation (DPI) in uninfected chickens and from 2 to 8 DPI in WNV-infected chickens, although levels declined from 8 to 22 DPI in the latter group. No significant differences were found in the remaining immunological and hematological variables of the WNV-infected and uninfected groups. Our results reaffirm that chickens are resistant to WNV infection, and demonstrated that the heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio differed between groups, allowing for sorting of infection status. Similar patterns in immune responses over time in both infected and uninfected hens may be related to age (i.e., 10 wk) and associated immune development.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Fair
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Biosecurity and Public Health, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA.
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41
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Alonso-Padilla J, de Oya NJ, Blázquez AB, Escribano-Romero E, Escribano JM, Saiz JC. Recombinant West Nile virus envelope protein E and domain III expressed in insect larvae protects mice against West Nile disease. Vaccine 2011; 29:1830-5. [PMID: 21211580 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.12.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2010] [Revised: 12/01/2010] [Accepted: 12/17/2010] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In this study, West Nile virus (WNV) envelope (rE) protein and its domain III (rDIII) were efficiently expressed in a cost-effective system based on insect larvae as non-fermentative living biofactories. Mice immunized with the partially purified rE or rDIII elicited high antibodies titers that neutralized viral infectivity in cell culture and in suckling mice. All vaccinated animals were fully protected when challenged with neurovirulent WNV NY99. Passive transfer of protective antibodies from immunized mothers to their offspring occurred both by transplacental and lactation routes. These results indicate that the insect-derived antigens tested may constitute potential vaccine candidates to be further evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio Alonso-Padilla
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Ctra. Coruña Km. 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Gingrich JB, O'Connor LL, Meredith WH, Pesek JD, Shriver WG. Epidemiology of West Nile virus: a silent epiornitic in Northern Delaware in 2007 without associated human cases. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MOSQUITO CONTROL ASSOCIATION 2010; 26:274-286. [PMID: 21033054 DOI: 10.2987/09-5974.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT. We performed a 2-year longitudinal study (2006-2007) of West Nile virus (WNV) infections in wild birds, mosquitoes, and sentinel chickens at 6 WNV-endemic sites in northern Delaware. We determined virus infection rates of Culex pipiens and other mosquito vectors as well as seroprevalence and antibody titers of amplifying hosts. Endemicity status varied widely among the 6 sites based on 3 criteria-mosquito infections, sentinel chicken seropositivity, and wild bird seropositivity. A highly endemic site would display at least 2 of the 3 criteria during each year of the study, while a site with just 1 positive criterion was considered to have low endemicity. Culex pipiens was the principal vector detected at 2 highly endemic sites in 2006 vs. 1 site in 2007. However, in 2006, we also found 2 other WNV-positive vector species as well as an unidentifiable Culex species at 1 highly endemic site, suggesting increased activity at the end of the 1st year of the study. Wild birds were early indicators of WNV at highly endemic sites in mid-July to early August of both 2006-2007. Mosquitoes were positive in mid- to late August, appearing concurrently with seroconverted sentinel chickens, with wild resident birds appearing approximately 4 wk prior to those indicators. Of birds tested with n > or = 9, Northern cardinals had the highest seropositivity rates (47%) followed by Carolina wrens (19%), house sparrows (13%), American robins (13%), tufted titmice (11%), and gray catbirds (9%). The overall seropositive rates in trapped birds increased from 5.0% in 2006 to 20.0% in 2007, while the geometric mean titers of all positive birds increased from 1:34 to 1:47 during the comparable periods. Based on these results, we suggest that an epiornitic in birds occurred in 2007, but that greatly reduced abundance of mosquito vectors caused by an extreme drought largely precluded human infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack B Gingrich
- Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
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43
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Velarde R, Calvin SE, Ojkic D, Barker IK, Nagy E. Avian influenza virus H13 circulating in ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) in southern Ontario, Canada. Avian Dis 2010; 54:411-9. [PMID: 20521671 DOI: 10.1637/8808-040109-reg.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Avian influenza virus (AIV) was studied in ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) in one breeding colony on Lake Erie in 2000, and two on Lake Ontario in both 2000 and 2004. Antibodies to H13 AIV were detected in 92% of adults in 2000 and 82% in 2004. Antibody prevalence in 3-wk-old chicks was 5%-30% (overall 15%) in 2000 and 21% and 76% (overall 48%) in 2004. In 5-wk-old chicks, antibody prevalence was 23%-75% (overall 53%) in 2000 and 53% and 79% (overall 66%) in 2004. Geometric mean antibody titers at 3 and 5 wk did not differ in 2000, but increased significantly at one colony in 2004. In 2000, overall prevalence of AIV isolation from cloaca in embryonated chicken eggs was 32% (3 wk old), 13% (5 wk old), and 0 (adults), but AIV was also isolated from kidney and lung in a high proportion of tissues cultured from 3-wk-old birds in one colony. Isolates from cloaca were characterized as subtype H13 by serology; all 15 tested for neuraminidase were H13N6. However, three AIV detections considered on the basis of nucleotide sequence to be subtype H16 were among the 28 detected retrospectively by PCR in archived cloacal swabs; the remainder were subtype H13. Outcome of virus isolation was not related to presence of antibody titers in chicks. The presence of antibody to AIV in chicks was associated significantly with inflammation in heart, kidney, pancreas, and liver. AIV was not isolated in 2004. AIV infected chicks annually within the first 3 wk of life, ultimately infecting the majority of birds in most colonies, but did not appear to cause clinical disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roser Velarde
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
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Balança G, Gaidet N, Savini G, Vollot B, Foucart A, Reiter P, Boutonnier A, Lelli R, Monicat F. Low West Nile virus circulation in wild birds in an area of recurring outbreaks in Southern France. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2010; 9:737-41. [PMID: 19402766 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2008.0147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) has a history of irregular but recurrent epizootics in countries of Mediterranean and of Central and Eastern Europe. We have investigated the temporal enzootic activity of WNV in free-ranging birds over a 3-year period in an area with sporadic occurrences of WNV outbreaks in Southern France. We conducted an intensive serologic survey on several wild bird populations (>4000 serum samples collected from 3300 birds) selected as potential indicators of the WNV circulation. WNV antibodies were detected by seroneutralization and/or plaque reduction neutralization in house sparrows, black-billed magpies, and scops owls, but these species appeared to be insufficient indicators of WNV circulation. Overall seroprevalence was low (<1%), including in birds that had been potentially exposed to the virus during recent outbreaks. However, the detection of a seroconversion in one bird, as well as the detection of seropositive birds in all years of our monitoring, including juveniles, indicate a constant annual circulation of WNV at a low level, including in years without any detectable emergence of WN fever in horses or humans.
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Root JJ, Bentler KT, Sullivan HJ, Blitvich BJ, McLean RG, Franklin AB. Antibody responses of raccoons naturally exposed to influenza A virus. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2010; 10:821-3. [PMID: 20370429 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2009.0184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
An investigation was performed to describe the responses of naturally acquired antibodies to influenza A virus in raccoons (Procyon lotor) over time. Seven wild raccoons, some of which had been exposed to multiple subtypes of influenza A virus, were held in captivity for 279 days, and serum samples were collected on 10 occasions during this interval. Serum samples from 9 of 10 bleeding occasions were tested using an epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the presence of antibodies to influenza A virus. Although titer declines were noted in most animals over time, all animals maintained detectable antibodies for the duration of the study. These data indicate that naturally acquired antibodies to influenza A virus can remain detectable in raccoons for many months, with the actual duration presumably being much longer because all animals had been exposed to influenza A virus before this study commenced. This information is important to surveillance programs because the duration of naturally acquired antibodies to influenza A virus in wildlife populations is largely unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Jeffrey Root
- National Wildlife Research Center, Wildlife Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA.
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Figuerola J, Baouab RE, Soriguer R, Fassi-Fihri O, Llorente F, Jímenez-Clavero MA. West Nile virus antibodies in wild birds, Morocco, 2008. Emerg Infect Dis 2010; 15:1651-3. [PMID: 19861065 PMCID: PMC2866403 DOI: 10.3201/eid1510.090340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
To determine circulation of West Nile virus (WNV) during nonepidemic times, we serosurveyed wild birds of Morocco in 2008. We found antibodies against WNV in 12 (3.5%) birds, against Usutu virus in 1 (0.3%), and against both in 2 (0.6%). High WNV prevalence among juvenile birds suggests local virus circulation among resident birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Figuerola
- Estacion Biologica de Donana, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Seville, Spain.
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Nemeth NM, Oesterle PT, Bowen RA. Humoral immunity to West Nile virus is long-lasting and protective in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). Am J Trop Med Hyg 2009; 80:864-869. [PMID: 19407139 PMCID: PMC2693945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a common and abundant amplifying host of West Nile virus (WNV) and many survive infection and develop humoral immunity. We experimentally inoculated house sparrows with WNV and monitored duration and protection of resulting antibodies. Neutralizing antibody titers remained relatively constant for >or= 36 months (N = 42) and provided sterilizing immunity for up to 36 months post-inoculation in 98.6% of individuals (N = 72). These results imply that immune house sparrows are protected from WNV infection for multiple transmission seasons. Additionally, individuals experiencing WNV-associated mortality reached significantly higher peak viremia titers than survivors, and mortality during acute infection was significantly higher in caged versus free-flight sparrows. A better understanding of the long-term immunity and mortality rates in birds is valuable in interpreting serosurveillance and diagnostic data and modeling transmission and disease dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Nemeth
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, USA.
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López G, Jiménez-Clavero MA, Tejedor CG, Soriguer R, Figuerola J. Prevalence of West Nile virus neutralizing antibodies in Spain is related to the behavior of migratory birds. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2008; 8:615-21. [PMID: 18399777 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2007.0200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is a bird flavivirus capable of infecting horses and humans that is transmitted by blood-sucking vectors. In Europe and Africa, sporadic infections and outbreaks causing human illness and deaths have occurred and have led to 2 mutually nonexclusive hypotheses regarding the circulation of WNV in Europe: (1) the occurrence of endemic sylvatic cycles that occasionally result in human or equine infection, or (2) sporadic seeding of WNV by migratory birds from areas where the virus is endemic in Africa or elsewhere that cause local epizootic foci and eventually lead to infection in humans. To investigate these 2 possibilities, we used a micro virus-neutralization test to examine the prevalence of WNV neutralizing antibodies in 574 individuals belonging to 25 species of birds captured in spring 2004 in Seville (southern Spain). Trans-Saharan migrant species had both higher prevalences and antibody titers than resident and short-distance migrants. This result suggests that trans-Saharan migrants spend part of their life cycles in areas with greater circulation of WNV, or a closely related flavivirus, before their arrival in Spain. On the other hand, seroprevalences assessed in resident birds suggest a low level of WNV circulation in the studied locality. Aside from the question of local circulation, it thus seems that the risk for introduction of strains of WNV from Africa by migratory birds merits further field and experimental studies in Spain.
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Size matters: West Nile Virus neutralizing antibodies in resident and migratory birds in Spain. Vet Microbiol 2008; 132:39-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2008.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2008] [Revised: 04/11/2008] [Accepted: 04/18/2008] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Hubálek Z, Halouzka J, Juřicová Z, Šikutová S, Rudolf I, Honza M, Janková J, Chytil J, Marec F, Sitko J. Serologic Survey of Birds for West Nile Flavivirus in Southern Moravia (Czech Republic). Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2008; 8:659-66. [DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2007.0283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Z. Hubálek
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - J. Halouzka
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Z. Juřicová
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - S. Šikutová
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - I. Rudolf
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - M. Honza
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - J. Janková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - J. Chytil
- Regional Museum, Přerov, Czech Republic
| | - F. Marec
- Biology Centre ASCR, Institute of Entomology, Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - J. Sitko
- Regional Museum, Přerov, Czech Republic
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