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Nolte K, Sauer FG, Baumbach J, Kollmannsberger P, Lins C, Lühken R. Robust mosquito species identification from diverse body and wing images using deep learning. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:372. [PMID: 39223629 PMCID: PMC11370291 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06459-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Mosquito-borne diseases are a major global health threat. Traditional morphological or molecular methods for identifying mosquito species often require specialized expertise or expensive laboratory equipment. The use of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to identify mosquito species based on images may offer a promising alternative, but their practical implementation often remains limited. This study explores the applicability of CNNs in classifying mosquito species. It compares the efficacy of body and wing depictions across three image collection methods: a smartphone, macro-lens attached to a smartphone and a professional stereomicroscope. The study included 796 specimens of four morphologically similar Aedes species, Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus, Ae. koreicus and Ae. japonicus japonicus. The findings of this study indicate that CNN models demonstrate superior performance in wing-based classification 87.6% (95% CI: 84.2-91.0) compared to body-based classification 78.9% (95% CI: 77.7-80.0). Nevertheless, there are notable limitations of CNNs as they perform reliably across multiple devices only when trained specifically on those devices, resulting in an average decline of mean accuracy by 14%, even with extensive image augmentation. Additionally, we also estimate the required training data volume for effective classification, noting a reduced requirement for wing-based classification compared to body-based methods. Our study underscores the viability of both body and wing classification methods for mosquito species identification while emphasizing the need to address practical constraints in developing accessible classification systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristopher Nolte
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
| | | | - Jan Baumbach
- Institute for Computational Biology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Christian Lins
- Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Renke Lühken
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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2
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Madeira S, Bernardino R, Osório HC, Boinas F. Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Fauna of a Zoological Park in an Urban Setting: Analysis of Culex pipiens s.l. and Their Biotypes. INSECTS 2024; 15:45. [PMID: 38249051 PMCID: PMC10816151 DOI: 10.3390/insects15010045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) are important emerging diseases that affect humans and animals. Zoological parks can work as early warning systems for the occurrence of MBDs. In this study, we characterized the mosquito fauna captured inside Lisbon Zoo from May 2018 to November 2019. An average of 2.4 mosquitos per trap/night were captured. Five mosquito species potentially causing MBDs, including Culex pipiens biotypes, were found in the zoo. The sympatric occurrence of Culex pipiens biotypes represents a risk factor for the epizootic transmission of West Nile virus and Usutu virus. The mosquito occurrence followed the expected seasonality, with the maximum densities during summer months. However, mosquito activity was detected in winter months in low numbers. The minimum temperature and the relative humidity (RH) on the day of capture showed a positive effect on Culex pipiens abundance. Contrary, the RH the week before capture and the average precipitation the week of capture had a negative effect. No invasive species were identified, nor have flaviviruses been detected in the mosquitoes. The implementation of biosecurity measures regarding the hygiene of the premises and the strict control of all the animals entering the zoo can justify the low prevalence of mosquitoes and the absence of flavivirus-infected mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Madeira
- CIISA—Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal;
- Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Hugo Costa Osório
- CEVDI—INSA—Centre for Vectors and Infectious Diseases Research, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge, 2965-575 Águas de Moura, Portugal;
- ISAMB—Instituto de Saúde Ambiental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Fernando Boinas
- CIISA—Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal;
- Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
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3
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Giesen C, Herrador Z, Fernandez B, Figuerola J, Gangoso L, Vazquez A, Gómez-Barroso D. A systematic review of environmental factors related to WNV circulation in European and Mediterranean countries. One Health 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2022.100478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
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4
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Spatial Analysis of Mosquito-Borne Diseases in Europe: A Scoping Review. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14158975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Mosquito-borne infections are increasing in endemic areas and previously unaffected regions. In 2020, the notification rate for Dengue was 0.5 cases per 100,000 population, and for Chikungunya <0.1/100,000. In 2019, the rate for Malaria was 1.3/100,000, and for West Nile Virus, 0.1/100,000. Spatial analysis is increasingly used in surveillance and epidemiological investigation, but reviews about their use in this research topic are scarce. We identify and describe the methodological approaches used to investigate the distribution and ecological determinants of mosquito-borne infections in Europe. Relevant literature was extracted from PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception until October 2021 and analysed according to PRISMA-ScR protocol. We identified 110 studies. Most used geographical correlation analysis (n = 50), mainly applying generalised linear models, and the remaining used spatial cluster detection (n = 30) and disease mapping (n = 30), mainly conducted using frequentist approaches. The most studied infections were Dengue (n = 32), Malaria (n = 26), Chikungunya (n = 26), and West Nile Virus (n = 24), and the most studied ecological determinants were temperature (n = 39), precipitation (n = 24), water bodies (n = 14), and vegetation (n = 11). Results from this review may support public health programs for mosquito-borne disease prevention and may help guide future research, as we recommended various good practices for spatial epidemiological studies.
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Barzon L, Montarsi F, Quaranta E, Monne I, Pacenti M, Michelutti A, Toniolo F, Danesi P, Marchetti G, Gobbo F, Sinigaglia A, Riccetti S, Dal Molin E, Favero L, Russo F, Capelli G. Early start of seasonal transmission and co-circulation of West Nile virus lineage 2 and a newly introduced lineage 1 strain, northern Italy, June 2022. EURO SURVEILLANCE : BULLETIN EUROPEEN SUR LES MALADIES TRANSMISSIBLES = EUROPEAN COMMUNICABLE DISEASE BULLETIN 2022; 27. [PMID: 35866436 PMCID: PMC9306260 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2022.27.29.2200548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In spring 2022, Europe faced an unprecedented heatwave, increasing the risk of West Nile virus (WNV) outbreaks. As early as 7 June 2022, WNV was detected in Culex mosquitoes in northern Italy, and - in the following days - in two blood donors, a patient with encephalitis, wild birds and additional mosquito pools. Genome sequencing demonstrated co-circulation of WNV lineage 2 and a newly introduced WNV lineage 1, which was discovered in the region in 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Barzon
- Microbiology and Virology Unit, Padova University Hospital, Padua, Italy.,Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Montarsi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy
| | - Erika Quaranta
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy
| | - Isabella Monne
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy
| | - Monia Pacenti
- Microbiology and Virology Unit, Padova University Hospital, Padua, Italy
| | - Alice Michelutti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy
| | - Federica Toniolo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy
| | - Patrizia Danesi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy
| | - Giulio Marchetti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy
| | - Federica Gobbo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Silvia Riccetti
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Laura Favero
- Direzione Prevenzione, Sicurezza Alimentare, Veterinaria, Regione del Veneto, Venice, Italy
| | - Francesca Russo
- Direzione Prevenzione, Sicurezza Alimentare, Veterinaria, Regione del Veneto, Venice, Italy
| | - Gioia Capelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy
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6
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Bakran-Lebl K, Camp JV, Kolodziejek J, Weidinger P, Hufnagl P, Cabal Rosel A, Zwickelstorfer A, Allerberger F, Nowotny N. Diversity of West Nile and Usutu virus strains in mosquitoes at an international airport in Austria. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:2096-2109. [PMID: 34169666 PMCID: PMC9540796 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Increased globalization and international transportation have resulted in the inadvertent introduction of exotic mosquitoes and new mosquito‐borne diseases. International airports are among the possible points of entry for mosquitoes and their pathogens. We established a mosquito and mosquito‐borne diseases monitoring programme at the largest international airport in Austria and report the results for the first two years, 2018 and 2019. This included weekly monitoring and sampling of adult mosquitoes, and screening them for the presence of viral nucleic acids by standard molecular diagnostic techniques. Additionally, we surveyed the avian community at the airport, as birds are potentially amplifying hosts. In 2018, West Nile virus (WNV) was detected in 14 pools and Usutu virus (USUV) was detected in another 14 pools of mosquitoes (minimum infection rate [MIR] of 6.8 for each virus). Of these 28 pools, 26 consisted of female Culex pipiens/torrentium, and two contained male Culex sp. mosquitoes. Cx. pipiens/torrentium mosquitoes were the most frequently captured mosquito species at the airport. The detected WNV strains belonged to five sub‐clusters within the sub‐lineage 2d‐1, and all detected USUV strains were grouped to at least seven sub‐clusters among the cluster Europe 2; all strains were previously shown to be endemic in Austria. In 2019, all mosquito pools were negative for any viral nucleic acids tested. Our study suggests that airports may serve as foci of arbovirus activity, particularly during epidemic years, and should be considered when designing mosquito control and arbovirus monitoring programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Bakran-Lebl
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jeremy V Camp
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jolanta Kolodziejek
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pia Weidinger
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Hufnagl
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | - Adriana Cabal Rosel
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Franz Allerberger
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Vienna, Austria
| | - Norbert Nowotny
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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7
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Calzolari M, Desiato R, Albieri A, Bellavia V, Bertola M, Bonilauri P, Callegari E, Canziani S, Lelli D, Mosca A, Mulatti P, Peletto S, Ravagnan S, Roberto P, Torri D, Pombi M, Di Luca M, Montarsi F. Mosquitoes of the Maculipennis complex in Northern Italy. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6421. [PMID: 33742019 PMCID: PMC7979756 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85442-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The correct identification of mosquito vectors is often hampered by the presence of morphologically indiscernible sibling species. The Maculipennis complex is one of these groups that include both malaria vectors of primary importance and species of low/negligible epidemiological relevance, of which distribution data in Italy are outdated. Our study was aimed at providing an updated distribution of Maculipennis complex in Northern Italy through the sampling and morphological/molecular identification of specimens from five regions. The most abundant species was Anopheles messeae (2032), followed by Anopheles maculipennis s.s. (418), Anopheles atroparvus (28) and Anopheles melanoon (13). Taking advantage of ITS2 barcoding, we were able to finely characterize tested mosquitoes, classifying all the Anopheles messeae specimens as Anopheles daciae, a taxon with debated rank to which we referred as species inquirenda (sp. inq.). The distribution of species was characterized by Ecological Niche Models (ENMs), fed by recorded points of presence. ENMs provided clues on the ecological preferences of the detected species, with An. daciae sp. inq. linked to stable breeding sites and An. maculipennis s.s. more associated to ephemeral breeding sites. We demonstrate that historical Anopheles malaria vectors are still present in Northern Italy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Calzolari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Via Bianchi, 9, 25124, Brescia, Italy.
| | - Rosanna Desiato
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandro Albieri
- Centro Agricoltura Ambiente "Giorgio Nicoli" S.r.L. (CAA), Via Sant'Agata, 835, 40014, Crevalcore, BO, Italy
| | - Veronica Bellavia
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Michela Bertola
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy
| | - Paolo Bonilauri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Via Bianchi, 9, 25124, Brescia, Italy
| | - Emanuele Callegari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Via Bianchi, 9, 25124, Brescia, Italy
| | - Sabrina Canziani
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Via Bianchi, 9, 25124, Brescia, Italy
| | - Davide Lelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Via Bianchi, 9, 25124, Brescia, Italy
| | - Andrea Mosca
- Territory and Agriculture Technical Area, Istituto per le Piante da Legno e l'Ambiente - IPLA SpA, Corso Casale, 476, 10132, Turin, Italy
| | - Paolo Mulatti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy
| | - Simone Peletto
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, Via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Silvia Ravagnan
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy
| | - Paolo Roberto
- Territory and Agriculture Technical Area, Istituto per le Piante da Legno e l'Ambiente - IPLA SpA, Corso Casale, 476, 10132, Turin, Italy
| | - Deborah Torri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Via Bianchi, 9, 25124, Brescia, Italy
| | - Marco Pombi
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Università di Roma "Sapienza", P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Di Luca
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Montarsi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy.,Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Università di Roma "Sapienza", P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
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8
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Arfuso F, Giudice E, Di Pietro S, Piccione G, Giannetto C. Modulation of Serum Protein Electrophoretic Pattern and Leukocyte Population in Horses Vaccinated against West Nile Virus. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11020477. [PMID: 33670395 PMCID: PMC7918827 DOI: 10.3390/ani11020477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Vaccination is the primary method of reducing the risk of West Nile virus (WNV) infection in horses but clinical disease is not fully prevented. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hematological parameters, including the leukocyte population and the serum protein electrophoretic pattern of horses subjected to two-dose vaccine administration with inactivated WNV. Vaccine-related changes in lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, serum total proteins, α1-, α-2-, β- and γ-globulin fractions are found. Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the hematological and serum protein electrophoretic profiles of horses after inactivated West Nile virus (WNV) vaccine administration. Blood samples were collected from 10 horses before (T0), after 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks (T1I, T2I, T3I, T4I, T5I and T6I) from the first WNV vaccine-dose administration, before the vaccine-booster (TPREII), and after 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks (T1I I, T2II, T3II, T4II, T5II, T6II) from the WNV vaccine-booster. There was a significant increase in lymphocytes and a decrease in neutrophils after both the first vaccine-dose and vaccine-booster administration compared to the baseline values (p < 0.01). Monocytes showed higher values after 72 h, 1 week and 2 weeks from the vaccine-booster (p < 0.01). Higher serum total protein values were found in horses after both the first vaccine-dose and booster administration (p < 0.05). α1-lobulins increased after the vaccine-booster with the highest levels measured at T4II (p < 0.05); α-2- and β-globulin fractions increased throughout the post-vaccine period compared to the baseline values (p < 0.05); and higher γ-globulin values were found before the vaccine-booster (TPREII) and after 24 h, 72 h and 3 weeks from the vaccine-booster (T1II, T3II and T6II). The findings allow us to conclude that the WNV vaccine used in the current study does not alter the overall hemogram picture of horses although it is associated with modulation of leukocyte populations and the serum protein electrophoretic pattern.
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Brugueras S, Fernández-Martínez B, Martínez-de la Puente J, Figuerola J, Porro TM, Rius C, Larrauri A, Gómez-Barroso D. Environmental drivers, climate change and emergent diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and their vectors in southern Europe: A systematic review. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 191:110038. [PMID: 32810503 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mosquito borne diseases are a group of infections that affect humans. Emerging or reemerging diseases are those that (re)occur in regions, groups or hosts that were previously free from these diseases: dengue virus; chikungunya virus; Zika virus; West Nile fever and malaria. In Europe, these infections are mostly imported; however, due to the presence of competent mosquitoes and the number of trips both to and from endemic areas, these pathogens are potentially emergent or re-emergent. Present and future climatic conditions, as well as meteorological, environmental and demographic aspects are risk factors for the distribution of different vectors and/or diseases. This review aimed to identify and analyze the existing literature on the transmission of mosquito borne diseases and those factors potentially affecting their transmission risk of them in six southern European countries with similar environmental conditions: Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. In addition, we would identify those factors potentially affecting the (re)introduction or spread of mosquito vectors. This task has been undertaken with a focus on the environmental and climatic factors, including the effects of climate change. We undertook a systematic review of the vectors, diseases and their associations with climactic and environmental factors in European countries of the Mediterranean region. We followed the PRISMA guidelines and used explicit and systematic methods to identify, select and critically evaluate the studies which were relevant to the topic. We identified 1302 articles in the first search of the databases. Of those, 160 were selected for full-text review. The final data set included 61 articles published between 2000 and 2017.39.3% of the papers were related with dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus or their vectors. Temperature, precipitation and population density were key factors among others. 32.8% studied West Nile virus and its vectors, being temperature, precipitation and NDVI the most frequently used variables. Malaria have been studied in 23% of the articles, with temperature, precipitation and presence of water indexes as the most used variables. The number of publications focused on mosquito borne diseases is increasing in recent years, reflecting the increased interest in that diseases in southern European countries. Climatic and environmental variables are key factors on mosquitoes' distribution and to show the risk of emergence and/or spread of emergent diseases and to study the spatial changes in that distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Brugueras
- Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Pl. Lesseps, 1, 08023, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Fernández-Martínez
- Centro Nacional de Epidemiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Josué Martínez-de la Puente
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Calle Américo Vespucio, 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Calle Américo Vespucio, 26, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Tomas Montalvo Porro
- Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Pl. Lesseps, 1, 08023, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Rius
- Agencia de Salud Pública de Barcelona, Pl. Lesseps, 1, 08023, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Amparo Larrauri
- Centro Nacional de Epidemiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Diana Gómez-Barroso
- Centro Nacional de Epidemiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Calle Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
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10
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Predicting WNV Circulation in Italy Using Earth Observation Data and Extreme Gradient Boosting Model. REMOTE SENSING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/rs12183064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
West Nile Disease (WND) is one of the most spread zoonosis in Italy and Europe caused by a vector-borne virus. Its transmission cycle is well understood, with birds acting as the primary hosts and mosquito vectors transmitting the virus to other birds, while humans and horses are occasional dead-end hosts. Identifying suitable environmental conditions across large areas containing multiple species of potential hosts and vectors can be difficult. The recent and massive availability of Earth Observation data and the continuous development of innovative Machine Learning methods can contribute to automatically identify patterns in big datasets and to make highly accurate identification of areas at risk. In this paper, we investigated the West Nile Virus (WNV) circulation in relation to Land Surface Temperature, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and Surface Soil Moisture collected during the 160 days before the infection took place, with the aim of evaluating the predictive capacity of lagged remotely sensed variables in the identification of areas at risk for WNV circulation. WNV detection in mosquitoes, birds and horses in 2017, 2018 and 2019, has been collected from the National Information System for Animal Disease Notification. An Extreme Gradient Boosting model was trained with data from 2017 and 2018 and tested for the 2019 epidemic, predicting the spatio-temporal WNV circulation two weeks in advance with an overall accuracy of 0.84. This work lays the basis for a future early warning system that could alert public authorities when climatic and environmental conditions become favourable to the onset and spread of WNV.
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11
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Bilgin Z, Turan N, Cizmecigil UY, Altan E, Esatgil MU, Yilmaz A, Aydin O, Kocazeybek B, Richt JA, Yilmaz H. Investigation of Vector-Borne Viruses in Ticks, Mosquitos, and Ruminants in the Thrace District of Turkey. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2020; 20:670-679. [PMID: 32397953 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2019.2532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a considerable increase in vector-borne zoonotic diseases around the world, including Turkey, such as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), tick borne encephalitis (TBE), Rift Valley fever (RVF), and West Nile fever (WNF), causing disease and death in humans and animals and significant economical losses. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the presence of CCHF virus (CCHFV) and TBE virus (TBEV) in ticks and RVF virus (RVFV) and WNF virus (WNV) in mosquitos, as well as in sheep and cattle, in the Thrace district of the Marmara region, which borders Bulgaria and Greece. Buffy-coat samples from 86 cattle and 81 sheep, as well as 563 ticks and 7390 mosquitos, were collected and examined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR for the presence of CCHFV, TBEV, RVFV, and WNV. All buffy-coat samples from cattle and sheep were negative for these viruses. Similarly, all tick samples were negative for CCHFV-RNA and TBEV-RNA. Among 245 pools representing 7390 mosquitos, only 1 pool sample was found to be positive for WNV-RNA and was confirmed by sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that it was WNV lineage-2. No RVFV-RNA was detected in the 245 mosquito pools. In conclusion, results of this study indicate that CCHFV, TBEV, and RVFV are not present in livestock and respective vectors in the Thrace district of Marmara region of Turkey, whereas WNV-RNA was found in mosquitos from this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahide Bilgin
- Department of Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nuri Turan
- Department of Virology, Veterinary Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Utku Y Cizmecigil
- Department of Virology, Veterinary Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Eda Altan
- Department of Virology, Veterinary Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Meltem Ulutas Esatgil
- Department of Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Aysun Yilmaz
- Department of Virology, Veterinary Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ozge Aydin
- Department of Virology, Veterinary Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Bekir Kocazeybek
- Department of Microbiology, Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Juergen A Richt
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Huseyin Yilmaz
- Department of Virology, Veterinary Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
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12
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Calzolari M, Angelini P, Bolzoni L, Bonilauri P, Cagarelli R, Canziani S, Cereda D, Cerioli MP, Chiari M, Galletti G, Moirano G, Tamba M, Torri D, Trogu T, Albieri A, Bellini R, Lelli D. Enhanced West Nile Virus Circulation in the Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy Regions (Northern Italy) in 2018 Detected by Entomological Surveillance. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:243. [PMID: 32432132 PMCID: PMC7214930 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
With several human cases reported annually since 2008 and the unapparent risk of infection of blood donors, the West Nile virus (WNV) is emerging as an important health issue in Europe. Italy, as well as other European countries, experienced a recrudescence of the virus circulation in 2018, which led to an increased number of human cases. An integrated surveillance plan was activated in the Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy regions (Northern Italy) since 2008 in order to monitor the intensity and timing of WNV circulation. A fundamental part of this plan consists in entomological surveillance. In 2018, the surveillance plan made it possible to collect 385,293 mosquitoes in 163 stations in the two Regions. In total 269,147 Culex mosquitoes were grouped into 2,337 pools and tested for WNV, which was detected in 232 pools. Circulation started in the central part of the Emilia-Romagna region in the middle of June, about one month before the previous seasons. Circulation suddenly expanded to the rest of the region and reached the Lombardy region in the middle of July. WNV circulated more intensively in the eastern part of the surveyed area, as confirmed by the highest number of human cases. A relationship between the number of mosquitoes collected and the virus incidence emerged, but the data obtained highlighted that the probability of detecting the virus in a given site was less than expected with a higher number of collected mosquitoes. A significant relationship was observed between the temperature recorded one week before the sampling and the number of collected mosquitoes, as well as between the estimated number of WNV-positive mosquitoes and the temperature recorded two weeks before the sampling. The two weeks delay in the influence of temperature on the positive mosquitoes is in line with the time of the virus extrinsic incubation in the mosquito. This finding confirms that temperature is one of the principal drivers in WNV mosquito infection. The surveillance system demonstrated the ability to detect the virus circulation early, particularly in areas where circulation was more intense. This allowed evaluating the effect of mosquito abundance and weather factors on virus circulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Calzolari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Lombardia e Dell'Emilia-Romagna, B. Ubertini, Brescia, Italy
| | - Paola Angelini
- Regional Health Authority of Emilia-Romagna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luca Bolzoni
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Lombardia e Dell'Emilia-Romagna, B. Ubertini, Brescia, Italy
| | - Paolo Bonilauri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Lombardia e Dell'Emilia-Romagna, B. Ubertini, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Sabrina Canziani
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Lombardia e Dell'Emilia-Romagna, B. Ubertini, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Monica Pierangela Cerioli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Lombardia e Dell'Emilia-Romagna, B. Ubertini, Brescia, Italy
| | - Mario Chiari
- Regional Health Authority of Lombardy, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgio Galletti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Lombardia e Dell'Emilia-Romagna, B. Ubertini, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giovenale Moirano
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit-CERMS, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO-Piemonte, Turin, Italy
| | - Marco Tamba
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Lombardia e Dell'Emilia-Romagna, B. Ubertini, Brescia, Italy
| | - Deborah Torri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Lombardia e Dell'Emilia-Romagna, B. Ubertini, Brescia, Italy
| | - Tiziana Trogu
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Lombardia e Dell'Emilia-Romagna, B. Ubertini, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Romeo Bellini
- Centro Agricoltura Ambiente "G. Nicoli", Crevalcore, Italy
| | - Davide Lelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Della Lombardia e Dell'Emilia-Romagna, B. Ubertini, Brescia, Italy
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13
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Caracciolo I, Mora-Cardenas E, Aloise C, Carletti T, Segat L, Burali MS, Chiarvesio A, Totis V, Avšič–Županc T, Mastrangelo E, Manfroni G, D’Agaro P, Marcello A. Comprehensive response to Usutu virus following first isolation in blood donors in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy: Development of recombinant NS1-based serology and sensitivity to antiviral drugs. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008156. [PMID: 32226028 PMCID: PMC7145266 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Surveillance of Usutu virus is crucial to prevent future outbreaks both in Europe and in other countries currently naïve to the infection, such as the Americas. This goal remains difficult to achieve, notably because of the lack of large-scale cohort studies and the absence of commercially available diagnostic reagents for USUV. This work started with the first identification of USUV in a blood donor in the Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) Region in Northern-Eastern Italy, which is endemic for West Nile virus. Considering that only one IgG ELISA is commercially available, but none for IgM, a novel NS1 antigen based IgG/M ELISA has been developed. This assay tested successfully for the detection of Usutu virus in blood donors with the identification of a second case of transmission and high levels of exposure. Furthermore, two pan-flavivirus antiviral drugs, that we previously characterized to be inhibitors of other flavivirus infectivity, were successfully tested for inhibition of Usutu virus with inhibitory concentrations in the low micromolar range. To conclude, this work identifies North-Eastern Italy as endemic for Usutu virus with implications for the screening of transfusion blood. A novel NS1-based ELISA test has been implemented for the detection of IgM/G that will be of importance as a tool for the diagnosis and surveillance of Usutu virus infection. Finally, Usutu virus is shown to be sensitive to a class of promising pan-flavivirus drugs. Tropical viruses transmitted by ticks or mosquitoes are becoming a health threat in areas of the world that were previously naïve to these infections. Usutu virus is a mosquito-borne virus that is circulating in Europe causing massive outbreaks in birds. Transmission to humans is documented, with some reports of severe neurological disease. However, the real size of transmission to humans suffers from lack of data due to insufficient surveillance. The first confirmed case of human USUV infection in an asymptomatic blood donor from North-Eastern Italy is hereby demonstrated by molecular assays and virus isolation. Specific Usutu virus serology has also been developed taking advantage of the NS1 viral antigen, which is tested on a number of blood donors demonstrating a high level of Usutu positivity. These findings confirm the human transmission in the region and offer a novel tool for specific Usutu virus surveillance. Finally, two drugs that were previously shown to have a wide spectrum of activity towards members of this family of viruses are shown to inhibit also Usutu virus, opening the way to a novel class antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Caracciolo
- Regional Reference Centre for Arbovirus Infections, Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Erick Mora-Cardenas
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Padriciano, Trieste, Italy
| | - Chiara Aloise
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Padriciano, Trieste, Italy
| | - Tea Carletti
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Padriciano, Trieste, Italy
| | - Ludovica Segat
- Regional Reference Centre for Arbovirus Infections, Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Integrata di Trieste, UCO Igiene e Sanità Pubblica, Trieste, Italy
| | - Maria Sole Burali
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Alexsia Chiarvesio
- Centro Unico Regionale Produzione Emocomponenti C.U.R.P.E. P.O. Palmanova A.A.S.2 Bassa Friulana Isontina, Palmanova, Italy
| | - Vivianna Totis
- Centro Unico Regionale Produzione Emocomponenti C.U.R.P.E. P.O. Palmanova A.A.S.2 Bassa Friulana Isontina, Palmanova, Italy
| | - Tatjana Avšič–Županc
- Laboratory of Diagnostics of Zoonoses and WHO Centre, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Giuseppe Manfroni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Pierlanfranco D’Agaro
- Regional Reference Centre for Arbovirus Infections, Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
- Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Integrata di Trieste, UCO Igiene e Sanità Pubblica, Trieste, Italy
- * E-mail: (PD); (AM)
| | - Alessandro Marcello
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Padriciano, Trieste, Italy
- * E-mail: (PD); (AM)
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14
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Mihailović DT, Petrić D, Petrović T, Hrnjaković-Cvjetković I, Djurdjevic V, Nikolić-Đorić E, Arsenić I, Petrić M, Mimić G, Ignjatović-Ćupina A. Assessment of climate change impact on the malaria vector Anopheles hyrcanus, West Nile disease, and incidence of melanoma in the Vojvodina Province (Serbia) using data from a regional climate model. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227679. [PMID: 31940403 PMCID: PMC6961917 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivated by the One Health paradigm, we found the expected changes in temperature and UV radiation (UVR) to be a common trigger for enhancing the risk that viruses, vectors, and diseases pose to human and animal health. We compared data from the mosquito field collections and medical studies with regional climate model projections to examine the impact of climate change on the spreading of one malaria vector, the circulation of West Nile virus (WNV), and the incidence of melanoma. We analysed data obtained from ten selected years of standardised mosquito vector sampling with 219 unique location-year combinations, and 10 years of melanoma incidence. Trends in the observed data were compared to the climatic variables obtained by the coupled regional Eta Belgrade University and Princeton Ocean Model for the period 1961-2015 using the A1B scenario, and the expected changes up to 2030 were presented. Spreading and relative abundance of Anopheles hyrcanus was positively correlated with the trend of the mean annual temperature. We anticipated a nearly twofold increase in the number of invaded sites up to 2030. The frequency of WNV detections in Culex pipiens was significantly correlated to overwintering temperature averages and seasonal relative humidity at the sampling sites. Regression model projects a twofold increase in the incidence of WNV positive Cx. pipiens for a rise of 0.5°C in overwintering TOctober-April temperatures. The projected increase of 56% in the number of days with Tmax ≥ 30°C (Hot Days-HD) and UVR doses (up to 1.2%) corresponds to an increasing trend in melanoma incidence. Simulations of the Pannonian countries climate anticipate warmer and drier conditions with possible dominance of temperature and number of HD over other ecological factors. These signal the importance of monitoring the changes to the preparedness of mitigating the risk of vector-borne diseases and melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dragutin T. Mihailović
- Department of Field and Vegetable Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Dušan Petrić
- Department of Plant and Environment Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Tamaš Petrović
- Department for virology, Scientific Veterinary Institute “Novi Sad”, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Ivana Hrnjaković-Cvjetković
- Institute of Public Health of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Vladimir Djurdjevic
- Institute of Meteorology, Faculty of Physics, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Emilija Nikolić-Đorić
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Ilija Arsenić
- Department of Field and Vegetable Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Mina Petrić
- Avia-GIS NV, Zoersel, Belgium
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Sciences, University of Gent, Gent, Belgium
| | - Gordan Mimić
- BioSense Institute, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Aleksandra Ignjatović-Ćupina
- Department of Plant and Environment Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
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15
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Marini G, Calzolari M, Angelini P, Bellini R, Bellini S, Bolzoni L, Torri D, Defilippo F, Dorigatti I, Nikolay B, Pugliese A, Rosà R, Tamba M. A quantitative comparison of West Nile virus incidence from 2013 to 2018 in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0007953. [PMID: 31895933 PMCID: PMC6939904 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background West Nile virus (WNV) transmission was much greater in 2018 than in previous seasons in Europe. Focusing on Emilia-Romagna region (northern Italy), we analyzed detailed entomological and epidemiological data collected in 2013–2018 to quantitatively assess environmental drivers of transmission and explore hypotheses to better understand why the 2018 epidemiological season was substantially different than the previous seasons. In particular, in 2018 WNV was detected at least two weeks before the observed circulation in 2013–2017 and in a larger number of mosquito pools. Transmission resulted in 100 neuroinvasive human cases in the region, more than the total number of cases recorded between 2013 and 2017. Methodology We used temperature-driven mathematical models calibrated through a Bayesian approach to simulate mosquito population dynamics and WNV infection rates in the avian population. We then estimated the human transmission risk as the probability, for a person living in the study area, of being bitten by an infectious mosquito in a given week. Finally, we translated such risk into reported WNV human infections. Principal findings The estimated prevalence of WNV in the mosquito and avian populations were significantly higher in 2018 with respect to 2013–2017 seasons, especially in the eastern part of the region. Furthermore, peak avian prevalence was estimated to have occurred earlier, corresponding to a steeper decline towards the end of summer. The high mosquito prevalence resulted in a much greater predicted risk for human transmission in 2018, which was estimated to be up to eight times higher than previous seasons. We hypothesized, on the basis of our modelling results, that such greater WNV circulation might be partially explained by exceptionally high spring temperatures, which have likely helped to amplify WNV transmission at the beginning of the 2018 season. West Nile virus (WNV) is one of the most recent emerging mosquito-borne diseases in Europe and North America. While most human infections are asymptomatic, about 1% of them can result in severe neurological diseases which might be fatal. WNV transmission was unusually greater in 2018 than in previous years in many European countries, resulting in a large number of human infections. Focusing on Emilia-Romagna region (Italy), we developed an epidemiological model informed by entomological data; through that we found that exceptionally high spring temperatures might have contributed at amplifying WNV transmission at the beginning of the season, causing greater WNV prevalence in mosquito and avian populations during the summer, which resulted in a higher estimated risk for human transmission. Thus, weather anomalies at the beginning of the mosquito breeding season, which are likely to become more common under the projected scenarios of climate change, might act as an early warning signal for public health authorities, enabling them to design efficient surveillance and prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Marini
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige (TN), Italy
- Epilab-JRU, FEM-FBK Joint Research Unit, Province of Trento, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Mattia Calzolari
- Laboratory of Entomology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini”, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Paola Angelini
- Public Health Service, Emilia-Romagna Region, Bologna, Italy
| | - Romeo Bellini
- Dept. Medical & Veterinary Entomology, Centro Agricoltura Ambiente “G. Nicoli”, Crevalcore, Italy
| | - Silvia Bellini
- Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini”, Bologna, Italy
| | - Luca Bolzoni
- Risk Analysis and Genomic Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini”, Parma, Italy
| | - Deborah Torri
- Laboratory of Entomology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini”, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Francesco Defilippo
- Laboratory of Entomology, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini”, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Ilaria Dorigatti
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Birgit Nikolay
- Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR2000: Génomique évolutive, modélisation et santé, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Center of Bioinformatics, Biostatistics and Integrative Biology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Andrea Pugliese
- Department of Mathematics, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Roberto Rosà
- Department of Biodiversity and Molecular Ecology, Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige (TN), Italy
- Epilab-JRU, FEM-FBK Joint Research Unit, Province of Trento, Italy
- Center Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, San Michele all’Adige (TN), Italy
| | - Marco Tamba
- Epidemiology Unit, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna “B. Ubertini”, Bologna, Italy
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16
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Comparing vector and human surveillance strategies to detect arbovirus transmission: A simulation study for Zika virus detection in Puerto Rico. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007988. [PMID: 31877132 PMCID: PMC6948821 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Detecting and monitoring the transmission of arboviruses such as Zika virus (ZIKV), dengue virus, and chikungunya virus is critical for prevention and control activities. Previous work has compared the ability of different human-focused surveillance strategies to detect ZIKV transmission in U.S. counties where no known transmission had occurred, but whether virological surveillance in mosquitoes could represent an effective surveillance system is unclear. Objectives We leveraged a unique set of data from human and virological surveillance in Ae. aegypti during the 2016 ZIKV epidemic in Caguas, Puerto Rico, to compare alternative strategies for detecting and monitoring ZIKV activity. Methods We developed a simulation model for mosquito and human surveillance strategies and simulated different transmission scenarios with varying infection rates and mosquito trap densities. We then calculated the expected weekly number of detected infections, the probability of detecting transmission, and the number of tests needed and compared the simulations with observed data from Caguas. Results In simulated high transmission scenarios (1 infection per 1,000 people per week), the models demonstrated that both approaches had estimated probabilities of detection of greater than 78%. In simulated low incidence scenarios, vector surveillance had higher sensitivity than human surveillance and sensitivity increased with more traps, more trapping effort, and testing. In contrast, the actual data from Caguas indicated that human virological surveillance was more sensitive than vector virological surveillance during periods of both high and low transmission. Conclusion In scenarios where human surveillance is not possible or when transmission intensity is very low, virological surveillance in Ae. aegypti may be able to detect and monitor ZIKV epidemic activity. However, surveillance for humans seeking care for Zika-like symptoms likely provides an equivalent or more sensitive indicator of transmission intensity in most circumstances. Control of Zika virus and other mosquito-borne viruses is dependent on timely and accurate detection of viral activity. A previous assessment of surveillance strategies for U.S. counties where no known transmission had occurred, found that testing people seeking medical care with signs of Zika virus was a more effective strategy than testing blood donors or pregnant women. An alternative strategy to testing humans is to test the mosquitoes directly for viruses. In this study, we used data from human and mosquito surveillances during the Zika epidemic of 2016 in Caguas, Puerto Rico to compare these strategies for detecting and monitoring Zika virus activity. Using simulation models for human and mosquito surveillance strategies, we examined different transmission scenarios with varying Zika virus infection rates. The results suggest that in high Zika virus transmission scenarios, both approaches effectively identified transmission. In low transmission scenarios, routine mosquito surveillance had the potential for increased sensitivity compared to human-based surveillance. However, resource availability may also be an important factor when considering the most effective approach.
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17
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Moirano G, Richiardi L, Calzolari M, Merletti F, Maule M. Recent rapid changes in the spatio-temporal distribution of West Nile Neuro-invasive Disease in Italy. Zoonoses Public Health 2019; 67:54-61. [PMID: 31612606 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
In Italy, the first human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) infection was reported in 2008 and, since then, the number of cases has been steadily increasing. In this study, we describe the temporal and spatial pattern of WNV infection risk among humans in Italy, focusing on the human cases of West Nile Neuro-invasive Disease (WNND) observed between 2008 and 2017. Incidence rates are estimated for each year and province under study. The incidence temporal trend is estimated using Poisson regression, and a spatio-temporal cluster detection analysis is performed to detect high-risk areas. In total, 231 WNND cases were notified in Italy between 2008 and 2017. The annual incidence rates increased during the study period (annual percentage change: 11.7%; 95%CI: -0.9%; 26.1%). A geographical spread of the disease was observed during the study period throughout Northern Italy, with an increasing number of affected provinces. Provinces close to the Po River (the main river in the north of Italy) and the Oristano province (in the Sardinia Island) experienced the highest incidence rates during the study period. Our study shows a gradual, but rapid spread of WNND across Northern Italy from east to west and suggests the hypothesis that provinces close to Po River might present ecological and climatic conditions favourable to the virus circulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovenale Moirano
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO-Piemonte, Torino, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Richiardi
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO-Piemonte, Torino, Italy
| | - Mattia Calzolari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia-Romagna 'B. Ubertini' (IZSLER), Brescia, Italy
| | - Franco Merletti
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO-Piemonte, Torino, Italy
| | - Milena Maule
- Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin and CPO-Piemonte, Torino, Italy
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18
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Evolutionary Dynamics of the Lineage 2 West Nile Virus That Caused the Largest European Epidemic: Italy 2011-2018. Viruses 2019; 11:v11090814. [PMID: 31484295 PMCID: PMC6784286 DOI: 10.3390/v11090814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Lineage 2 West Nile virus (WNV) caused a vast epidemic in Europe in 2018, with the highest incidence being recorded in Italy. To reconstruct the evolutionary dynamics and epidemiological history of the virus in Italy, 53 envelope gene and 26 complete genome sequences obtained from human and animal samples were characterised by means of next-generation sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis revealed two Italian strains originating between 2010 and 2012: clade A, which apparently became extinct in 2013–2014, and clade B, which was responsible for the 2018 epidemic. The mean genetic distances in clade B increased over time and with the distance between sampling locations. Bayesian birth-death and coalescent skyline plots of the clade B showed that the effective number of infections and the effective reproduction number (Re) increased between 2015 and 2018. Our data suggest that WNV-2 entered Italy in 2011 as a result of one or a few penetration events. Clade B differentiated mainly as a result of genetic drift and purifying selection, leading to the appearance of multiple locally circulating sub-clades for different times. Phylodynamic analysis showed a current expansion of the infection among reservoir birds and/or vectors.
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Ippoliti C, Candeloro L, Gilbert M, Goffredo M, Mancini G, Curci G, Falasca S, Tora S, Di Lorenzo A, Quaglia M, Conte A. Defining ecological regions in Italy based on a multivariate clustering approach: A first step towards a targeted vector borne disease surveillance. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0219072. [PMID: 31269045 PMCID: PMC6608978 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecoregionalization is the process by which a territory is classified in similar areas according to specific environmental and climatic factors. The climate and the environment strongly influence the presence and distribution of vectors responsible for significant human and animal diseases worldwide. In this paper, we developed a map of the eco-climatic regions of Italy adopting a data-driven spatial clustering approach using recent and detailed spatial data on climatic and environmental factors. We selected seven variables, relevant for a broad set of human and animal vector-borne diseases (VBDs): standard deviation of altitude, mean daytime land surface temperature, mean amplitude and peak timing of the annual cycle of land surface temperature, mean and amplitude of the annual cycle of greenness value, and daily mean amount of rainfall. Principal Component Analysis followed by multivariate geographic clustering using the k-medoids technique were used to group the pixels with similar characteristics into different ecoregions, and at different spatial resolutions (250 m, 1 km and 2 km). We showed that the spatial structure of ecoregions is generally maintained at different spatial resolutions and we compared the resulting ecoregion maps with two datasets related to Bluetongue vectors and West Nile Disease (WND) outbreaks in Italy. The known characteristics of Culicoides imicola habitat were well captured by 2/22 specific ecoregions (at 250 m resolution). Culicoides obsoletus/scoticus occupy all sampled ecoregions, according to its known widespread distribution across the peninsula. WND outbreak locations strongly cluster in 4/22 ecoregions, dominated by human influenced landscape, with intense cultivations and complex irrigation network. This approach could be a supportive tool in case of VBDs, defining pixel-based areas that are conducive environment for VBD spread, indicating where surveillance and prevention measures could be prioritized in Italy. Also, ecoregions suitable to specific VBDs vectors could inform entomological surveillance strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Ippoliti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise G. Caporale, Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
| | - Luca Candeloro
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise G. Caporale, Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
| | - Marius Gilbert
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Maria Goffredo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise G. Caporale, Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Mancini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise G. Caporale, Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
| | - Gabriele Curci
- Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
- Center of Excellence in Telesensing of Environment and Model Prediction of Severe Events (CETEMPS), University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Serena Falasca
- Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
- Center of Excellence in Telesensing of Environment and Model Prediction of Severe Events (CETEMPS), University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Susanna Tora
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise G. Caporale, Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
| | - Alessio Di Lorenzo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise G. Caporale, Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
| | - Michela Quaglia
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise G. Caporale, Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
| | - Annamaria Conte
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise G. Caporale, Campo Boario, Teramo, Italy
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20
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Jourdain F, Samy AM, Hamidi A, Bouattour A, Alten B, Faraj C, Roiz D, Petrić D, Pérez-Ramírez E, Velo E, Günay F, Bosevska G, Salem I, Pajovic I, Marić J, Kanani K, Paronyan L, Dente MG, Picard M, Zgomba M, Sarih M, Haddad N, Gaidash O, Sukhiasvili R, Declich S, Shaibi T, Sulesco T, Harrat Z, Robert V. Towards harmonisation of entomological surveillance in the Mediterranean area. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007314. [PMID: 31194743 PMCID: PMC6563966 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Mediterranean Basin is historically a hotspot for trade, transport, and migration. As a result, countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea share common public health threats. Among them are vector-borne diseases, and in particular, mosquito-borne viral diseases are prime candidates as (re)emerging diseases and are likely to spread across the area. Improving preparedness and response capacities to these threats at the regional level is therefore a major issue. The implementation of entomological surveillance is, in particular, of utmost importance. Guidance in designing entomological surveillance systems is critical, and these systems may pursue different specific objectives depending on the disease. The purpose of the proposed review is to draw up guidelines for designing effective and sustainable entomological surveillance systems in order to improve preparedness and response. However, we make it clear that there is no universal surveillance system, so the thinking behind harmonisation is to define evidence-based standards in order to promote best practises, identify the most appropriate surveillance activities, and optimise the use of resources. Such guidance is aimed at policymakers and diverse stakeholders and is intended to be used as a framework for the implementation of entomological surveillance programmes. It will also be useful to collaborate and share information with health professionals involved in other areas of disease surveillance. Medical entomologists and vector control professionals will be able to refer to this report to advocate for tailored entomological surveillance strategies. The main threats targeted in this review are the vectors of dengue virus, chikungunya virus, Zika virus, West Nile virus, and Rift Valley fever virus. The vectors of all these arboviruses are mosquitoes. METHODS Current knowledge on vector surveillance in the Mediterranean area is reviewed. The analysis was carried out by a collaboration of the medical entomology experts in the region, all of whom belong to the MediLabSecure network, which is currently funded by the European Union and represents an international effort encompassing 19 countries in the Mediterranean and Black Sea region. FINDINGS Robust surveillance systems are required to address the globalisation of emerging arboviruses. The prevention and management of mosquito-borne viral diseases must be addressed in the prism of a One Health strategy that includes entomological surveillance as an integral part of the policy. Entomological surveillance systems should be designed according to the entomological and epidemiological context and must have well-defined objectives in order to effect a tailored and graduated response. We therefore rely on different scenarios according to different entomological and epidemiological contexts and set out detailed objectives of surveillance. The development of multidisciplinary networks involving both academics and public authorities will provide resources to address these health challenges by promoting good practises in surveillance (identification of surveillance aims, design of surveillance systems, data collection, dissemination of surveillance results, evaluation of surveillance activities) and through the sharing of effective knowledge and information. These networks will also contribute to capacity building and stronger collaborations between sectors at both the local and regional levels. Finally, concrete guidance is offered on the vector of the main arbovirus based on the current situation in the area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Jourdain
- French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, Research unit MIVEGC IRD-CNRS-Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | - Abdallah M. Samy
- Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Afrim Hamidi
- University of Prishtina, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, Prishtina, Kosovo
| | - Ali Bouattour
- Université de Tunis El Manar, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, LR11IPT03 Service d’entomologie médicale, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Bülent Alten
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Science, Biology Department, Ecology Section, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Chafika Faraj
- Laboratoire d'Entomologie Médicale, Institut National d'Hygiène, Rabat, Morocco
| | - David Roiz
- French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, Research unit MIVEGC IRD-CNRS-Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | - Dušan Petrić
- Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Phytomedicine and Environment Protection, Laboratory for Medical Entomology, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Elisa Pérez-Ramírez
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CISA), Carretera Algete-El Casar, Valdeolmos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Enkeledja Velo
- Control of Infectious Diseases Department, Institute of Public Health, Tirana, Albania
| | - Filiz Günay
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Science, Biology Department, Ecology Section, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Golubinka Bosevska
- Institute of Public Health of R. Macedonia, Laboratory for virology and molecular diagnostics, Skopje, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
| | - Ibrahim Salem
- Ministry of Health, Central public health laboratory, Ramallah, Palestine
| | - Igor Pajovic
- University of Montenegro, Biotechnical Faculty, Podgorica, Montenegro
| | - Jelena Marić
- PI Veterinary Institute of the Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Khalil Kanani
- Parasitic and Zoonotic Diseases Department, Vector-Borne Diseases programmes manager, MOH, Ramallah, Jordan
| | - Lusine Paronyan
- Epidemiology of Vector borne and Parasitic diseases, National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Ministry of Health, Yerevan, Armenia
| | - Maria-Grazia Dente
- National Center for Global Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Marie Picard
- French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, Research unit MIVEGC IRD-CNRS-Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
| | - Marija Zgomba
- Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Phytomedicine and Environment Protection, Laboratory for Medical Entomology, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - M'hammed Sarih
- Laboratoire des Maladies Vectorielles, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Nabil Haddad
- Laboratory of Immunology and Vector-Borne Diseases, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Fanar, Lebanon
| | - Oleksandr Gaidash
- State Body “Ukrainian I. I. Mechnikov Research Anti-Plague Institute of Ministry of Health of Ukraine”, Laboratory of Especially Dangerous Infections Epizootology, Odessa, Ukraine
| | - Roena Sukhiasvili
- National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Silvia Declich
- National Center for Global Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Taher Shaibi
- Reference Laboratory of Parasites & Vector Borne Diseases, NCDC Libya, and Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Tripoli, Libya
| | - Tatiana Sulesco
- Institute of Zoology, Ministry of Education, Culture and Research, Chisinau, Moldova
| | - Zoubir Harrat
- Laboratoire éco-épidémiologie Parasitaire et Génétique des Populations, Institut Pasteur d’Algérie, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Vincent Robert
- French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development, Research unit MIVEGC IRD-CNRS-Montpellier University, Montpellier, France
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21
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Sedda L, Lucas ER, Djogbénou LS, Edi AVC, Egyir-Yawson A, Kabula BI, Midega J, Ochomo E, Weetman D, Donnelly MJ. Improved spatial ecological sampling using open data and standardization: an example from malaria mosquito surveillance. J R Soc Interface 2019; 16:20180941. [PMID: 30966952 PMCID: PMC6505554 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2018.0941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Vector-borne disease control relies on efficient vector surveillance, mostly carried out using traps whose number and locations are often determined by expert opinion rather than a rigorous quantitative sampling design. In this work we propose a framework for ecological sampling design which in its preliminary stages can take into account environmental conditions obtained from open data (i.e. remote sensing and meteorological stations) not necessarily designed for ecological analysis. These environmental data are used to delimit the area into ecologically homogeneous strata. By employing Bayesian statistics within a model-based sampling design, the traps are deployed among the strata using a mixture of random and grid locations which allows balancing predictions and model-fitting accuracies. Sample sizes and the effect of ecological strata on sample sizes are estimated from previous mosquito sampling campaigns open data. Notably, we found that a configuration of 30 locations with four households each (120 samples) will have a similar accuracy in the predictions of mosquito abundance as 200 random samples. In addition, we show that random sampling independently from ecological strata, produces biased estimates of the mosquito abundance. Finally, we propose standardizing reporting of sampling designs to allow transparency and repetition/re-use in subsequent sampling campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Sedda
- Centre for Health Information, Computation and Statistics (CHICAS), Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Furness Building, Lancaster LA1 4YG, UK
| | - Eric R. Lucas
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Luc S. Djogbénou
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
- Institut Régional de Santé Publique/Université d'Abomey–Calavi, BP 384 Ouidah, Benin
| | - Ako V. C. Edi
- Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Cote d'Ivoire, 01 BP 1303 Abidjan 01, Cote d'Ivoire
| | | | - Bilali I. Kabula
- National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), Amani Centre, PO Box 81, Muheza, Tanzania
| | - Janet Midega
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, PO Box 230, 80108 Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Eric Ochomo
- Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, PO Box 1578 – 40100 Kisumu, Kenya
| | - David Weetman
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Martin J. Donnelly
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK
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22
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Young JJ, Coulombier D, Domanović D, Zeller H, Gossner CM. One Health approach for West Nile virus surveillance in the European Union: relevance of equine data for blood safety. Euro Surveill 2019; 24:1800349. [PMID: 31014416 PMCID: PMC6826348 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2019.24.16.1800349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) infection is notifiable in humans and equids in the European Union (EU). An area where a human case is detected is considered affected until the end of the mosquito transmission season (week 48) and blood safety measures have to be implemented. We used human and equine case notifications between 2013 and 2017 to define the WNV distribution in the EU and to investigate the relevance of using equine cases as a complementary trigger for blood safety measures. Adding areas with equine cases to the definition of an affected area would have a major impact on blood safety measures. Adding areas with equine cases where human cases have been reported in the past would increase the timeliness of blood safety measures with only a limited impact. Although the occurrence of human and/or equine cases confirms virus circulation in the EU, no evidence was found that occurrence of equine cases leads to human cases and vice versa. We conclude that information about equine data should contribute to raising awareness among public health experts and trigger enhanced surveillance. Further studies are required before extending the definition of affected areas to areas with human and/or equine cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna J Young
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm
| | - Denis Coulombier
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm
| | | | | | - Hervé Zeller
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm
| | - Céline M Gossner
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm
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23
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Diallo D, Ndiaye EH, Fall G, Ba Y, Faye O, Dia I, Diallo M. Evaluation of the Performance of Different Traps for Sampling Usutu and West Nile Viruses and Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Vectors in Senegal. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2019; 56:149-155. [PMID: 30124969 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjy145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
An efficient trapping tool is one of the most important factors in surveillance and research on arboviruses and their vectors. In the current study, we tested the efficiency of several traps for sampling West Nile (WNV) and Usutu (USUV) viruses and their vectors in Senegal during 2013. A total of 15,527 mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), 94.3% females, were collected. Among the known arbovirus vectors, Mansonia uniformis (Theobald) (Diptera: Culicidae) was the most abundant (46.5%), followed by Culex poicilipes Theobald (Diptera: Culicidae) (19.5%), Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles (Diptera: Culicidae) (8.0%), and Culex neavei Theobald (Diptera: Culicidae) (6.1%). The geometric means of these vectors varied by trap, location, and height. WNV was isolated from Cx. neavei and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus collected by pigeon-baited traps within the canopy, CO2-CDC traps within the canopy and at the ground. USUV was isolated only from Cx. neavei collected by pigeon-baited traps and CO2-CDC traps within the canopy. Therefore, for each study, the trap to be chosen will depend on the mosquito species and virus targeted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diawo Diallo
- Unité d'Entomologie Médicale, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, BP, Dakar, Senegal
| | - El Hadji Ndiaye
- Unité d'Entomologie Médicale, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, BP, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Gamou Fall
- Unité des Arbovirus et Virus de Fièvres Hémorragiques, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, BP, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Yamar Ba
- Unité d'Entomologie Médicale, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, BP, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Ousmane Faye
- Unité des Arbovirus et Virus de Fièvres Hémorragiques, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, BP, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Ibrahima Dia
- Unité d'Entomologie Médicale, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, BP, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Mawlouth Diallo
- Unité d'Entomologie Médicale, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, BP, Dakar, Senegal
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24
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Vilibic-Cavlek T, Savic V, Petrovic T, Toplak I, Barbic L, Petric D, Tabain I, Hrnjakovic-Cvjetkovic I, Bogdanic M, Klobucar A, Mrzljak A, Stevanovic V, Dinjar-Kujundzic P, Radmanic L, Monaco F, Listes E, Savini G. Emerging Trends in the Epidemiology of West Nile and Usutu Virus Infections in Southern Europe. Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:437. [PMID: 31867347 PMCID: PMC6908483 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The epidemiology of West Nile (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) has changed dramatically over the past two decades. Since 1999, there have been regular reports of WNV outbreaks and the virus has expanded its area of circulation in many Southern European countries. After emerging in Italy in 1996, USUV has spread to other countries causing mortality in several bird species. In 2009, USUV seroconversion in horses was reported in Italy. Co-circulation of both viruses was detected in humans, horses and birds. The main vector of WNV and USUV in Europe is Culex pipiens, however, both viruses were found in native Culex mosquito species (Cx. modestus, Cx. perexiguus). Experimental competence to transmit the WNV was also proven for native and invasive mosquitoes of Aedes and Culex genera (Ae. albopictus, Ae. detritus, Cx. torrentium). Recently, Ae. albopictus and Ae. japonicus naturally-infected with USUV were reported. While neuroinvasive human WNV infections are well-documented, USUV infections are sporadically detected. However, there is increasing evidence of a role of USUV in human disease. Seroepidemiological studies showed that USUV circulation is more common than WNV in some endemic regions. Recent data showed that WNV strains detected in humans, horses, birds, and mosquitoes mainly belong to lineage 2. In addition to European USUV lineages, some reports indicate the presence of African USUV lineages as well. The trends in WNV/USUV range and vector expansion are likely to continue in future years. This mini-review provides an update on the epidemiology of WNV and USUV infections in Southern Europe within a multidisciplinary "One Health" context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Vilibic-Cavlek
- Department of Virology, Croatian Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia
- School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- *Correspondence: Tatjana Vilibic-Cavlek
| | - Vladimir Savic
- Poultry Center, Croatian Veterinary Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Tamas Petrovic
- Department for Virology, Scientific Veterinary Institute, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Ivan Toplak
- Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Ljubo Barbic
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases With Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dusan Petric
- Laboratory for Medical and Veterinary Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Irena Tabain
- Department of Virology, Croatian Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivana Hrnjakovic-Cvjetkovic
- Center for Microbiology, Institute of Public Health Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia
- Medical Faculty, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | - Maja Bogdanic
- Department of Virology, Croatian Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana Klobucar
- Division of Disinfection, Disinfestation and Pest Control, Andrija Stampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anna Mrzljak
- School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Medicine, Merkur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Vladimir Stevanovic
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases With Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Luka Radmanic
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases With Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Federica Monaco
- OIE Reference Center for West Nile Disease, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
| | - Eddy Listes
- Laboratory for Diagnostics, Croatian Veterinary Institute, Regional Institute Split, Split, Croatia
| | - Giovanni Savini
- OIE Reference Center for West Nile Disease, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale “G. Caporale”, Teramo, Italy
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25
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William W, Bülent A, Thomas B, Eduardo B, Marieta B, Olivier B, Celine G, Jolyon M, Dusan P, Francis S, Ducheyne E. The importance of vector abundance and seasonality. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.2903/sp.efsa.2018.en-1491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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26
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Lustig Y, Sofer D, Bucris ED, Mendelson E. Surveillance and Diagnosis of West Nile Virus in the Face of Flavivirus Cross-Reactivity. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2421. [PMID: 30369916 PMCID: PMC6194321 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
West Nile Virus (WNV) is an arthropod-borne flavivirus whose zoonotic cycle includes both mosquitoes and birds as amplifiers and humans and horses as dead-end hosts. In recent years WNV has been spreading globally and is currently endemic in Africa, The Middle East, India, Australia, central and southern Europe, and the Americas. Integrated surveillance schemes and environmental data aim to detect viral circulation and reduce the risk of infection for the human population emphasizing the critical role for One Health principles in public health. Approximately 20% of WNV infected patients develop West Nile Fever while in less than 1%, infection results in West Nile Neurological Disease. Currently, the diagnosis of WNV infection is primarily based on serology, since molecular identification of WNV RNA is unreliable due to the short viremia. The recent emergence of Zika virus epidemic in America and Asia has added another layer of complexity to WNV diagnosis due to significant cross-reactivity between several members of the Flaviviridae family such as Zika, dengue, Usutu, and West Nile viruses. Diagnosis is especially challenging in persons living in regions with flavivirus co-circulation as well as in travelers from WNV endemic countries traveling to Zika or dengue infected areas or vise-versa. Here, we review the recent studies implementing WNV surveillance of mosquitoes and birds within the One Health initiative. Furthermore, we discuss the utility of novel molecular methods, alongside traditional molecular and serological methods, in WNV diagnosis and epidemiological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaniv Lustig
- Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Danit Sofer
- Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Efrat Dahan Bucris
- Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Ella Mendelson
- Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel.,School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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27
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Montagnaro S, Piantedosi D, Ciarcia R, Loponte R, Veneziano V, Fusco G, Amoroso MG, Ferrara G, Damiano S, Iovane G, Pagnini U. Serological Evidence of Mosquito-Borne Flaviviruses Circulation in Hunting Dogs in Campania Region, Italy. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2018; 19:142-147. [PMID: 30160624 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2018.2337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A Flavivirus survey on 183 hunting dogs was conducted in Campania region, Southern Italy. The seroprevalence value of 40.43% (74/183, 95% confidence intervals [CIs] 33.37-47.49) detected in our study using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent serologic assay (cELISA) proves a considerable level of Flavivirus exposition of these animals. Among the 74 cELISA-positive sera, seroneutralization (SN) test showed that 24 sera resulted positive for Usutu virus with an overall prevalence of 13.11% (24/183) (95% CI 8.27-17.95), but none of cELISA-positive samples resulted positive for West Nile virus. Data analysis showed a significant difference of cELISA seropositivity risk factors in case of presence of farm animals in contact with hunting dogs and for dogs living in a rural environment but not for gender, age, management, hunting season, and hunting abroad. A RT-PCR assay was performed to detect the Flavivirus RNA, but none of the blood samples tested positive. This study documents the first report regarding the circulation of Flavivirus in hunting dog in Southern Italy and suggests the dog as an interesting target to monitor Flavivirus circulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Montagnaro
- 1 Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples "Federico II" , Naples, Italy
| | - Diego Piantedosi
- 1 Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples "Federico II" , Naples, Italy
| | - Roberto Ciarcia
- 1 Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples "Federico II" , Naples, Italy
| | - Rosa Loponte
- 1 Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples "Federico II" , Naples, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Veneziano
- 1 Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples "Federico II" , Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanna Fusco
- 2 Unit of Virology, Department of Animal Health, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Amoroso
- 2 Unit of Virology, Department of Animal Health, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Naples, Italy
| | - Gianmarco Ferrara
- 1 Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples "Federico II" , Naples, Italy
| | - Sara Damiano
- 1 Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples "Federico II" , Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Iovane
- 1 Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples "Federico II" , Naples, Italy
| | - Ugo Pagnini
- 1 Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples "Federico II" , Naples, Italy
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The Role of Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae) in Virus Transmission in Europe. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:ijerph15020389. [PMID: 29473903 PMCID: PMC5858458 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15020389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Over the past three decades, a range of mosquito-borne viruses that threaten public and veterinary health have emerged or re-emerged in Europe. Mosquito surveillance activities have highlighted the Culex pipiens species complex as being critical for the maintenance of a number of these viruses. This species complex contains morphologically similar forms that exhibit variation in phenotypes that can influence the probability of virus transmission. Critical amongst these is the choice of host on which to feed, with different forms showing different feeding preferences. This influences the ability of the mosquito to vector viruses and facilitate transmission of viruses to humans and domestic animals. Biases towards blood-feeding on avian or mammalian hosts have been demonstrated for different Cx. pipiens ecoforms and emerging evidence of hybrid populations across Europe adds another level of complexity to virus transmission. A range of molecular methods based on DNA have been developed to enable discrimination between morphologically indistinguishable forms, although this remains an active area of research. This review provides a comprehensive overview of developments in the understanding of the ecology, behaviour and genetics of Cx. pipiens in Europe, and how this influences arbovirus transmission.
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Groen TA, L'Ambert G, Bellini R, Chaskopoulou A, Petric D, Zgomba M, Marrama L, Bicout DJ. Ecology of West Nile virus across four European countries: empirical modelling of the Culex pipiens abundance dynamics as a function of weather. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:524. [PMID: 29070056 PMCID: PMC5657042 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2484-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Culex pipiens is the major vector of West Nile virus in Europe, and is causing frequent outbreaks throughout the southern part of the continent. Proper empirical modelling of the population dynamics of this species can help in understanding West Nile virus epidemiology, optimizing vector surveillance and mosquito control efforts. But modelling results may differ from place to place. In this study we look at which type of models and weather variables can be consistently used across different locations. Methods Weekly mosquito trap collections from eight functional units located in France, Greece, Italy and Serbia for several years were combined. Additionally, rainfall, relative humidity and temperature were recorded. Correlations between lagged weather conditions and Cx. pipiens dynamics were analysed. Also seasonal autoregressive integrated moving-average (SARIMA) models were fitted to describe the temporal dynamics of Cx. pipiens and to check whether the weather variables could improve these models. Results Correlations were strongest between mean temperatures at short time lags, followed by relative humidity, most likely due to collinearity. Precipitation alone had weak correlations and inconsistent patterns across sites. SARIMA models could also make reasonable predictions, especially when longer time series of Cx. pipiens observations are available. Conclusions Average temperature was a consistently good predictor across sites. When only short time series (~ < 4 years) of observations are available, average temperature can therefore be used to model Cx. pipiens dynamics. When longer time series (~ > 4 years) are available, SARIMAs can provide better statistical descriptions of Cx. pipiens dynamics, without the need for further weather variables. This suggests that density dependence is also an important determinant of Cx. pipiens dynamics. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-017-2484-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Groen
- University of Twente, Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, PO, Box 217 7500 AE, Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Gregory L'Ambert
- EID Mediterranee, 165 Avenue Paul Rimbaud, 34184, Montpellier, France
| | - Romeo Bellini
- Centro Agricoltura Ambiente "G. Nicoli", Via Argini Nord 3351, 40014, Crevalcore, Italy
| | - Alexandra Chaskopoulou
- USDA-ARS, European Biological Control Laboratory, Tsimiski 43, 54623, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Dusan Petric
- University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture, Laboratory for Medical Entomology, Trg D. Obradovica 8, Novi Sad, 21000, Serbia
| | - Marija Zgomba
- University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture, Laboratory for Medical Entomology, Trg D. Obradovica 8, Novi Sad, 21000, Serbia
| | - Laurence Marrama
- ECDC, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Tomtebodavagen 11A, 17183, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Dominique J Bicout
- Biomathematics and Epidemiology EPSP-TIMC, VetAgro Sup, Veterinary Campus of Lyon, F-69280, Marcy l'Etoile, France. .,Laue - Langevin Institute, Theory Group, F-38042, Grenoble cedex 9, France.
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Lustig Y, Kaufman Z, Mendelson E, Orshan L, Anis E, Glazer Y, Cohen D, Shohat T, Bassal R. Spatial distribution of West Nile virus in humans and mosquitoes in Israel, 2000-2014. Int J Infect Dis 2017; 64:20-26. [PMID: 28882664 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2017.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2017] [Revised: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/26/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Israel has a long history of West Nile virus (WNV) morbidity, and the rate of detection of WNV in mosquitoes has been high since 2000. The aim of this study was to integrate several WNV datasets in order to gain an insight into the geographical distribution of WNV in Israel. METHODS Three choropleth maps were generated showing WNV human morbidity, WNV prevalence in mosquitoes, and the results of a nationwide serological survey, based on the division of Israel into 15 sub-districts. RESULTS The maps show a high endemicity of WNV in Israel. In respect to the morbidity map, the population residing in the central part of the country and in Arava Region is at higher risk of developing the disease than the population of the rest of Israel. Interestingly, high prevalence rates of both WNV serology and WNV-infected mosquitoes were detected in Arava Region, but lower prevalence rates were detected in most areas of the coastal region, suggesting that other factors might also be important in the development of symptomatic WNV infections. CONCLUSIONS These results underline the high prevalence of WNV in Israel and point to specific risk areas for WNV infections across the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaniv Lustig
- Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
| | - Zalman Kaufman
- Israel Center for Disease Control, Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
| | - Ella Mendelson
- Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Laor Orshan
- Laboratory of Entomology, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Emilia Anis
- Division of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel; Braun School of Public Health, Hebrew University and Hadassah, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yael Glazer
- Division of Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Public Health, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Daniel Cohen
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Tamy Shohat
- Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Ravit Bassal
- Israel Center for Disease Control, Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel
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Percivalle E, Sassera D, Rovida F, Isernia P, Fabbi M, Baldanti F, Marone P. Usutu Virus Antibodies in Blood Donors and Healthy Forestry Workers in the Lombardy Region, Northern Italy. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2017; 17:658-661. [PMID: 28759350 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2017.2126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Usutu virus (USUV), a member of the genus Flavivirus, is known to circulate at low prevalence in Northern Italy, and has been reported to cause overt infection. USUV was first reported in Europe in 2001, but a retrospective study showed that it has been present in Italy at least since 1996. Seroprevalence data for USUV antibodies in sera are being collected in different European countries, showing circulation at low prevalence in human populations. Interestingly, two consecutive studies in Northern Italy indicate a possible increase in the presence of the virus, from 0% to 0.23% seroprevalence in blood donors. In this study, antibodies against USUV were measured in 3 consecutive blood samples collected from October 2014 to December 2015 from 33 forestry workers in the Po river valley, while samples from 200 blood donors from the same geographical area were tested in parallel. Neutralizing and IgG antibodies were found in six forestry workers (18.1%) and in two blood donors (1%). Our results indicate that USUV circulation in the examined area, part of a highly populated region in Northern Italy, is higher than expected. Healthy subjects exhibit a higher prevalence than what was found in a previous report in an adjoining region (0.23%), while the population at risk shows a much higher prevalence value (18.1%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Percivalle
- 1 S.C. Microbiologia e Virologia, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo , Pavia, Italy
| | - Davide Sassera
- 2 Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università degli Studi di Pavia , Pavia, Italy
| | - Francesca Rovida
- 1 S.C. Microbiologia e Virologia, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo , Pavia, Italy
| | - Paola Isernia
- 3 Servizio Immunoematologia e Medicina Trasfusionale, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Massimo Fabbi
- 4 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia ed Emilia Romagna, Pavia, Italy
| | - Fausto Baldanti
- 1 S.C. Microbiologia e Virologia, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo , Pavia, Italy .,5 Dipartimento di Scienze Clinico-Chirurgiche, Diagnostiche e Pediatriche, Università degli Studi di Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Piero Marone
- 1 S.C. Microbiologia e Virologia, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo , Pavia, Italy
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Calzolari M, Chiapponi C, Bonilauri P, Lelli D, Baioni L, Barbieri I, Lavazza A, Pongolini S, Dottori M, Moreno A. Co-circulation of two Usutu virus strains in Northern Italy between 2009 and 2014. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2017; 51:255-262. [PMID: 28341546 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2017.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Usutu virus is an arbovirus closely related to West Nile virus (genus Flavivirus), which circulates between mosquitoes and wild birds. This virus has been increasingly reported in Europe, raising concerns for its possible pathogenic potential for wild birds and humans. This study reports the whole genome sequences of 15 strains of USUV, isolated between 2010 and 2014 from mosquitoes and wild birds in the course of West Nile virus surveillance in the Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy regions of Northern Italy. Both whole and 656 partial genome sequences, obtained from isolated viruses and field samples (mosquitoes and wild birds), were analyzed to describe the temporal and geographical spread of USUV in the surveyed area. The detected sequences belonged to two groups, with one circulating primarily in the northwestern part of the area and the other in the southeastern part. This pattern is likely the result of different routes of introduction from the North (over the Alps) and from the East, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis of obtained sequences and other European sequences demonstrated that the majority of European strains belonged to one main clade, while less common strains, mainly from Western Europe, fell in other two clades. This analysis strongly suggested an autochthonous evolution process of strains of the main clade from a common ancestor with an estimated time of arrival in Europe at the beginning of the 1990s. In addition to causing mass mortality in wild birds, Usutu virus can infect humans and can sporadically cause disease. These factors and the endemization of the Usutu virus in a large area of Europe, sustained by the obtained data, strongly support the need to adequately survey Usutu virus in areas in which its circulation is detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Calzolari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) "B. Ubertini", Via Bianchi 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Chiara Chiapponi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) "B. Ubertini", Via Bianchi 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Paolo Bonilauri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) "B. Ubertini", Via Bianchi 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Davide Lelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) "B. Ubertini", Via Bianchi 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Laura Baioni
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) "B. Ubertini", Via Bianchi 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Ilaria Barbieri
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) "B. Ubertini", Via Bianchi 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Antonio Lavazza
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) "B. Ubertini", Via Bianchi 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Stefano Pongolini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) "B. Ubertini", Via Bianchi 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Michele Dottori
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) "B. Ubertini", Via Bianchi 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy.
| | - Ana Moreno
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) "B. Ubertini", Via Bianchi 9, 25124 Brescia, Italy.
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Rizzo C, Napoli C, Venturi G, Pupella S, Lombardini L, Calistri P, Monaco F, Cagarelli R, Angelini P, Bellini R, Tamba M, Piatti A, Russo F, Palù G, Chiari M, Lavazza A, Bella A. West Nile virus transmission: results from the integrated surveillance system in Italy, 2008 to 2015. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 21:30340. [PMID: 27684046 PMCID: PMC5032855 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2016.21.37.30340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In Italy a national Plan for the surveillance of imported and autochthonous human vector-borne diseases (chikungunya, dengue, Zika virus disease and West Nile virus (WNV) disease) that integrates human and veterinary (animals and vectors) surveillance, is issued and revised annually according with the observed epidemiological changes. Here we describe results of the WNV integrated veterinary and human surveillance systems in Italy from 2008 to 2015. A real time data exchange protocol is in place between the surveillance systems to rapidly identify occurrence of human and animal cases and to define and update the map of affected areas i.e. provinces during the vector activity period from June to October. WNV continues to cause severe illnesses in Italy during every transmission season, albeit cases are sporadic and the epidemiology varies by virus lineage and geographic area. The integration of surveillance activities and a multidisciplinary approach made it possible and have been fundamental in supporting implementation of and/or strengthening preventive measures aimed at reducing the risk of transmission of WNV trough blood, tissues and organ donation and to implementing further measures for vector control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Rizzo
- National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, ISS), Italy
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Braks M, Mancini G, de Swart M, Goffredo M. Risk of vector‐borne diseases for the EU: Entomological aspects: Part 2. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.2903/sp.efsa.2017.en-1184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marieta Braks
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment Netherlands
| | - Giuseppe Mancini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale” IZSAM Italy
| | - Marieke de Swart
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment Netherlands
| | - Maria Goffredo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale” IZSAM Italy
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Vorou R. Letter to the editor: diagnostic challenges to be considered regarding Zika virus in the context of the presence of the vector Aedes albopictus in Europe. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 21:30161. [PMID: 26988027 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2016.21.10.30161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rengina Vorou
- Unit for Strategic Development and Policy, Hellenic Center for Diseases Control and Prevention, Athens, Greece
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Chiari M, Calzolari M, Prosperi A, Perulli S, Faccin F, Avisani D, Cerioli M, Zanoni M, Tironi M, Bertoletti M, Defilippo F, Moreno A, Farioli M, Piatti A, Dottori M, Lelli D, Lavazza A. Surveillance of Mosquitoes and Selected Arthropod-Borne Viruses in the Context of Milan EXPO 2015. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2016; 13:ijerph13070689. [PMID: 27399756 PMCID: PMC4962230 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph13070689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Revised: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
From 1 May 2015 to 31 October 2015 over 20 million visitors from all over the world visited the Universal Exhibition (EXPO) hosted by Milan (Lombardy region, Italy), raising concerns about the possible introduction of mosquito-borne diseases from endemic countries. The entomological surveillance protocol performed in Lombardy over the last three years was implemented in the EXPO area and in the two major regional airports using both Center for Disease Control CO2 and Biogents Sentinel traps. This surveillance aimed to estimate the presence and densities of putative vectors, and also to support investigations, including the vector species involved and area of diffusion, on the local spread of Chikungunya, Dengue and West Nile viruses (WNV) by competent vectors. From 3544 mosquitoes belonging to five different species, 28 pools of Culex spp. and 45 pools of Aedes spp. were screened for the presence of WNV, and for both Chikungunya and flaviviruses, respectively. The entomological surveillance highlighted a low density of potential vectors in the surveyed areas and did not reveal the presence of Chikungunya or Dengue viruses in the local competent vectors inside the EXPO area or in the two airports. In addition, the surveillance reported a low density of Culex spp. mosquitoes, which all tested negative for WNV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Chiari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia 25124, Italy.
| | - Mattia Calzolari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia 25124, Italy.
| | - Alice Prosperi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia 25124, Italy.
| | - Simona Perulli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia 25124, Italy.
| | - Francesca Faccin
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia 25124, Italy.
| | - Dominga Avisani
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia 25124, Italy.
| | - Monica Cerioli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia 25124, Italy.
| | - Mariagrazia Zanoni
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia 25124, Italy.
| | - Marco Tironi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia 25124, Italy.
| | - Marco Bertoletti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia 25124, Italy.
| | - Francesco Defilippo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia 25124, Italy.
| | - Ana Moreno
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia 25124, Italy.
| | - Marco Farioli
- Regional Health Authority of Lombardy, Milan 20124, Italy.
| | | | - Michele Dottori
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia 25124, Italy.
| | - Davide Lelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia 25124, Italy.
| | - Antonio Lavazza
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia 25124, Italy.
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Vascellari M, Ravagnan S, Carminato A, Cazzin S, Carli E, Da Rold G, Lucchese L, Natale A, Otranto D, Capelli G. Exposure to vector-borne pathogens in candidate blood donor and free-roaming dogs of northeast Italy. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:369. [PMID: 27357128 PMCID: PMC4928314 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1639-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many vector-borne pathogens including viruses, bacteria, protozoa and nematodes occur in northeast Italy, representing a potential threat to animal and human populations. Little information is available on the circulation of the above vector-borne pathogens in dogs. This work aims to (i) assess exposure to and circulation of pathogens transmitted to dogs in northeast Italy by ticks, sandflies, and mosquitoes, and (ii) drive blood donor screening at the newly established canine blood bank of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie. Methods Blood samples from 150 privately-owned canine candidate blood donors and 338 free-roaming dogs were screened by serology (IFA for Leishmania infantum, Ehrlichia canis, Anaplasma phagocythophilum, Babesia canis, Rickettsia conorii, R. rickettsii), microscopic blood smear examination, and blood filtration for Dirofilaria spp. All candidate donors and seropositive free-roaming dogs were tested by PCR for L. infantum, E. canis, A. phagocythophilum, Babesia/Theileria and Rickettsia spp. The dogs had no clinical signs at the time of sampling. Results Overall, 40 candidate donors (26.7 %) and 108 free-roaming dogs (32 %) were seroreactive to at least one vector-borne pathogen. Seroprevalence in candidate donors vs free-roaming dogs was: Leishmania infantum 6.7 vs 7.1 %; Anaplasma phagocytophilum 4.7 vs 3.3 %; Babesia canis 1.3 vs 2.7 %; Ehrlichia canis none vs 0.9 %; Rickettsia conorii 16 vs 21.3 % and R. rickettsii 11 vs 14.3 %. Seroreactivity to R. rickettsii, which is not reported in Italy, is likely a cross-reaction with other rickettsiae. Filariae, as Dirofilaria immitis (n = 19) and D. repens (n = 2), were identified in free-roaming dogs only. No significant differences were observed between candidate donors and free-roaming dogs either in the overall seroprevalence of vector-borne pathogens or for each individual pathogen. All PCRs and smears performed on blood were negative. Conclusions This study demonstrated that dogs are considerably exposed to vector-borne pathogens in northeast Italy. Although the dog owners reported regularly using ectoparasiticides against fleas and ticks, their dogs had similar exposure to vector-borne pathogens as free-roaming dogs. This prompts the need to improve owner education on the use of insecticidal and repellent compounds in order to reduce the risk of arthropod bites and exposure to vector-borne pathogens. Based on the absence of pathogens circulating in the blood of healthy dogs, the risk of transmission of these pathogens by blood transfusion seems to be low, depending also on the sensitivity of the tests used for screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Vascellari
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Ravagnan
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Antonio Carminato
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefania Cazzin
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Erika Carli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Graziana Da Rold
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Laura Lucchese
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Alda Natale
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padova, Italy
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Italy
| | - Gioia Capelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padova, Italy.
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Correction: West Nile Virus Surveillance in 2013 via Mosquito Screening in Northern Italy and the Influence of Weather on Virus Circulation. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0146436. [PMID: 26717413 PMCID: PMC4699900 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Lustig Y, Hindiyeh M, Orshan L, Weiss L, Koren R, Katz-Likvornik S, Zadka H, Glatman-Freedman A, Mendelson E, Shulman LM. Mosquito Surveillance for 15 Years Reveals High Genetic Diversity Among West Nile Viruses in Israel. J Infect Dis 2015; 213:1107-14. [PMID: 26597260 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiv556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile Virus (WNV) is endemic in Israel and has been the cause of several outbreaks in recent years. In 2000, a countrywide mosquito survey was established to monitor WNV activity and characterize viral genotypes in Israel. We analyzed data from 7135 pools containing 277 186 mosquitoes collected over the past 15 years and, here, report partial sequences of WNV genomes obtained from 102 of the 336 positive mosquito pools. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that cluster 4 and the Mediterranean and Eastern European subtypes of cluster 2 within WNV lineage 1 circulated in Israel, as did WNV lineage 2, highlighting a high genetic diversity of WNV genotypes in our region. As a major crossroads for bird migration between Africa and Eurasia and with a long history of human infection, Israel serves as a resource hub for WNV in Africa and Eurasia and provides valuable information on WNV circulation in these regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaniv Lustig
- Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical center, Tel-Hashomer
| | - Musa Hindiyeh
- Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical center, Tel-Hashomer Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
| | - Laor Orshan
- Laboratory of Entomology, Ministry of Health, Jerusalem
| | - Leah Weiss
- Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical center, Tel-Hashomer
| | - Ravit Koren
- Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical center, Tel-Hashomer
| | - Shiri Katz-Likvornik
- Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical center, Tel-Hashomer
| | - Hila Zadka
- Israel Center for Disease Control, Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical center, Tel-Hashomer
| | - Aharona Glatman-Freedman
- Israel Center for Disease Control, Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical center, Tel-Hashomer New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York
| | - Ella Mendelson
- Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical center, Tel-Hashomer Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
| | - Lester M Shulman
- Central Virology Laboratory, Ministry of Health, Chaim Sheba Medical center, Tel-Hashomer Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
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