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Kemarau RA, Sakawi Z, Eboy OV, Anak Suab S, Ibrahim MF, Rosli NNB, Md Nor NNF. Planetary boundaries transgressions: A review on the implications to public health. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 260:119668. [PMID: 39048067 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
This literature review systematically examines the impacts of violating planetary boundaries from 2009 to 2023, emphasizing the implications for human health. Planetary boundaries define safe operational limits for Earth's systems, and their transgression poses significant threats to environmental stability and public health. This paper reviews extensive research on the health effects of breaches in these boundaries, including climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater use, and aerosol loading. The review integrates findings from numerous studies, providing a critical overview of health impacts across various global regions. The analysis underscores the intricate links between planetary boundaries breaching impacts, highlighting urgent policy and governance challenges. The study's outcomes aim to inform policymakers, businesses, and communities, promoting sustainable development and resilience in the face of escalating global challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricky Anak Kemarau
- Earth Observation Centre, Institute of Climate Change, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Zaini Sakawi
- Earth Observation Centre, Institute of Climate Change, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Oliver Valentine Eboy
- Geography Program, Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Stanley Anak Suab
- Graduate School of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Mohd Faiz Ibrahim
- Environmental Health Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, 40170, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nurul Nazli Binti Rosli
- Center for STEM Enculturation Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nik Norliati Fitri Md Nor
- Geography Section, School Distance Learning, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Jalan Universiti, 11700, Gelugor, Penang, Malaysia
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Ferraguti M. Mosquito species identity matters: unraveling the complex interplay in vector-borne diseases. Infect Dis (Lond) 2024; 56:685-696. [PMID: 38795138 DOI: 10.1080/23744235.2024.2357624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research on vector-borne diseases has traditionally centred on a limited number of vertebrate hosts and their associated pathogens, often neglecting the broader array of vectors within communities. Mosquitoes, with their vast species diversity, hold a central role in disease transmission, yet their capacity to transmit specific pathogens varies considerably among species. Quantitative modelling of mosquito-borne diseases is essential for understanding transmission dynamics and requires the necessity of incorporating the identity of vector species into these models. Consequently, understanding the role of different species of mosquitoes in modelling vector-borne diseases is crucial for comprehending pathogen amplification and spill-over into humans. This comprehensive overview highlights the importance of considering mosquito identity and emphasises the essential need for targeted research efforts to gain a complete understanding of vector-pathogen specificity. METHODS Leveraging the recently published book, 'Mosquitoes of the World', I identified 19 target mosquito species in Europe, highlighting the diverse transmission patterns exhibited by different vector species and the presence of 135 medically important pathogens. RESULTS The review delves into the complexities of vector-pathogen interactions, with a focus on specialist and generalist strategies. Furthermore, I discuss the importance of using appropriate diversity indices and the challenges associated with the identification of correct indices. CONCLUSIONS Given that the diversity and relative abundance of key species within a community significantly impact disease risk, comprehending the implications of mosquito diversity in pathogen transmission at a fine scale is crucial for advancing the management and surveillance of mosquito-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Ferraguti
- Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD), CSIC, Seville, Spain
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Ecology (TCE), Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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Thiiru JW, Langat S, Mulwa F, Cinkovich S, Koka H, Yalwala S, Khamadi S, Onguso J, Odemba N, Ngere F, Johnson J, Egbo T, Garges E, Ojwang E, Eyase F. Characterization of West Nile virus Koutango lineage from phlebotomine sandflies in Kenya. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301956. [PMID: 39173002 PMCID: PMC11341046 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The West Nile virus (WNV), primarily transmitted by mosquitoes, is one of the most widespread flaviviruses globally, with past outbreaks occurring in the USA and Europe. Recent studies in parts of Africa, including Kenya, have identified the West Nile virus Koutango lineage (WN-KOUTV) among phlebotomine sandfly populations, however, our understanding of this virus remains limited. This study aimed to characterize WN-KOUTV from phlebotomine sandflies. Sandflies were sampled between 12th -16th March 2021 and 16th -20th March 2023 from six villages each in Baringo and Isiolo Counties, using CDC light traps. Female sandflies were taxonomically identified and pooled based on genus and site of collection. Virus isolation was performed in Vero cells. Viral genomes were determined using next-generation sequencing. Phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses were done to decipher the virus's evolutionary relationships. Comparative analyses of amino acid sequences were performed to determine variations. Protein modeling in Pymol was conducted to elucidate variations in key protein regions. Evolutionary pressure analysis investigated the selection pressures on the virus. In vitro experiments were done to investigate the virus growth kinetics in mammalian Vero E6 and mosquito C6/36 cells. We report the isolation of WN-KOUTV from Salabani in Baringo and Aremet in Isiolo, Kenya. The isolated WN-KOUTVs clustered with previously identified WN-KOUTV strains. Comparative analysis revealed a unique amino acid at NS5 653. The WN-KOUTV lineage as a whole is under purifying selective pressure, with diversifying pressure acting at site NS3 267. The current WN-KOUTV replicated in Vero E6 and C6/36 cells comparable to West Nile virus Lineage 1a, isolated from mosquitoes. Subsequent isolations of WN-KOUTV in phlebotomine sandflies suggest potential vectors, however, vector competence studies would confirm this. Replication in mammalian and insect cell lines suggests there may exist a vector/host relationship. We speculate the close genetic relationship of WN-KOUTV strains from East and West Africa may potentially be enabled by bird migratory routes between the two regions. If proven, this could point to a potential future pandemic pathway for this virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Wambui Thiiru
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, United States Army Medical Research Directorate-Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
- Centre for Virus Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
- Institute for Biotechnology Research, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Solomon Langat
- Centre for Virus Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Francis Mulwa
- Centre for Virus Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Stephanie Cinkovich
- Global Emerging Infections Surveillance Branch, United States Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Hellen Koka
- Centre for Virus Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Santos Yalwala
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, United States Army Medical Research Directorate-Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Samoel Khamadi
- Centre for Virus Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Justus Onguso
- Institute for Biotechnology Research, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Nicholas Odemba
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, United States Army Medical Research Directorate-Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Francis Ngere
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, United States Army Medical Research Directorate-Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jaree Johnson
- United States Armed Forces Pest Management Board, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Timothy Egbo
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, United States Army Medical Research Directorate-Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Eric Garges
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, United States Army Medical Research Directorate-Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Elly Ojwang
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, United States Army Medical Research Directorate-Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Fredrick Eyase
- Department of Emerging Infectious Diseases, United States Army Medical Research Directorate-Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
- Centre for Virus Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
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Frasca F, Sorrentino L, Fracella M, D’Auria A, Coratti E, Maddaloni L, Bugani G, Gentile M, Pierangeli A, d’Ettorre G, Scagnolari C. An Update on the Entomology, Virology, Pathogenesis, and Epidemiology Status of West Nile and Dengue Viruses in Europe (2018-2023). Trop Med Infect Dis 2024; 9:166. [PMID: 39058208 PMCID: PMC11281579 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed9070166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, increases in temperature and tropical rainfall have facilitated the spread of mosquito species into temperate zones. Mosquitoes are vectors for many viruses, including West Nile virus (WNV) and dengue virus (DENV), and pose a serious threat to public health. This review covers most of the current knowledge on the mosquito species associated with the transmission of WNV and DENV and their geographical distribution and discusses the main vertebrate hosts involved in the cycles of WNV or DENV. It also describes virological and pathogenic aspects of WNV or DENV infection, including emerging concepts linking WNV and DENV to the reproductive system. Furthermore, it provides an epidemiological analysis of the human cases of WNV and DENV reported in Europe, from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2023, with a particular focus on Italy. The first autochthonous cases of DENV infection, with the most likely vector being Aedes albopictus, have been observed in several European countries in recent years, with a high incidence in Italy in 2023. The lack of treatments and effective vaccines is a serious challenge. Currently, the primary strategy to prevent the spread of WNV and DENV infections in humans remains to limit the spread of mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Frasca
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (M.F.); (A.D.); (E.C.); (M.G.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.M.); (G.B.); (G.d.)
| | - Leonardo Sorrentino
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (M.F.); (A.D.); (E.C.); (M.G.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
| | - Matteo Fracella
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (M.F.); (A.D.); (E.C.); (M.G.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
| | - Alessandra D’Auria
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (M.F.); (A.D.); (E.C.); (M.G.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
| | - Eleonora Coratti
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (M.F.); (A.D.); (E.C.); (M.G.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
| | - Luca Maddaloni
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.M.); (G.B.); (G.d.)
| | - Ginevra Bugani
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.M.); (G.B.); (G.d.)
| | - Massimo Gentile
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (M.F.); (A.D.); (E.C.); (M.G.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
| | - Alessandra Pierangeli
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (M.F.); (A.D.); (E.C.); (M.G.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
| | - Gabriella d’Ettorre
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.M.); (G.B.); (G.d.)
| | - Carolina Scagnolari
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (M.F.); (A.D.); (E.C.); (M.G.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
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de Best PA, Abourashed A, Doornekamp L, van Gorp ECM, Timen A, Sikkema RS, Bartumeus F, Palmer JRB, Koopmans MPG. Determinants of intended prevention behaviour against mosquitoes and mosquito-borne viruses in the Netherlands and Spain using the MosquitoWise survey: cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:1781. [PMID: 38965485 PMCID: PMC11223381 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19293-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recently, Europe has seen an emergence of mosquito-borne viruses (MBVs). Understanding citizens' perceptions of and behaviours towards mosquitoes and MBVs is crucial to reduce disease risk. We investigated and compared perceptions, knowledge, and determinants of citizens' behavioural intentions related to mosquitoes and MBVs in the Netherlands and Spain, to help improve public health interventions. METHODS Using the validated MosquitoWise survey, data was collected through participant panels in Spain (N = 475) and the Netherlands (N = 438). Health Belief Model scores measuring behavioural intent, knowledge, and information scores were calculated. Confidence Interval-Based Estimation of Relevance was used, together with potential for change indexes, to identify promising determinants for improving prevention measure use. RESULTS Spanish participants' responses showed slightly higher intent to use prevention measures compared to those of Dutch participants (29.1 and 28.2, respectively, p 0.03). Most participants in Spain (92.2%) and the Netherlands (91.8%) indicated they used at least one prevention measure, but differences were observed in which types they used. More Spanish participants indicated to have received information on mosquitoes and MBVs compared to Dutch participants. Spanish participants preferred health professional information sources, while Dutch participants favoured government websites. Determinants for intent to use prevention measures included "Knowledge", "Reminders to Use Prevention Measures", and "Information" in the Netherlands and Spain. Determinants for repellent use included "Perceived Benefits" and "Cues to Action", with "Perceived Benefits" having a high potential for behavioural change in both countries. "Self-Efficacy" and "Knowledge" were determinants in both countries for breeding site removal. CONCLUSION This study found differences in knowledge between the Netherlands and Spain but similarities in determinants for intent to use prevention measures, intent to use repellents and intent to remove mosquito breeding sites. Identified determinants can be the focus for future public health interventions to reduce MBV risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline A de Best
- Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, the Netherlands.
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, 3721 MA, the Netherlands.
| | - Ayat Abourashed
- Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, the Netherlands
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, 17300, Spain
| | - Laura Doornekamp
- Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, the Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, the Netherlands
| | - Eric C M van Gorp
- Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, the Netherlands
| | - Aura Timen
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, 3721 MA, the Netherlands
- Department of Primary and Community Care, RadboudUMC, Nijmegen, 6525 GA, the Netherlands
- Athena Institute, VU University, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, the Netherlands
| | - Reina S Sikkema
- Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, the Netherlands
| | - Frederic Bartumeus
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, 17300, Spain
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica I Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, 08010, Spain
| | - John R B Palmer
- Department of Political and Social Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, 08005, Spain
| | - Marion P G Koopmans
- Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, 3015 GD, the Netherlands
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Bursali F, Simsek FM. Population Genetics of Culex tritaeniorhynchus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Türkiye. Acta Parasitol 2024; 69:1157-1171. [PMID: 38592372 PMCID: PMC11182820 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-024-00844-9] [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: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Mosquitoes are important vectors of pathogens that can affect humans and animals. Culex tritaeniorhynchus is an important vector of arboviruses such as Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus among various human and animal communities. These diseases are of major public health concern and can have huge economic and health burdens in prevalent countries. Although populations of this important mosquito species have been detected in the Mediterranean and Aegean regions of Türkiye; little is known about its population structure. Our study is to examine the population genetics and genetic composition of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes collected from several localities using cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 genes (ND5). This is the first extensive study of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the mainland Türkiye with sampling spanning many of provinces. METHODS In this study, DNA extraction, amplification of mitochondrial COI and ND5 genes and population genetic analyses were performed on ten geographic populations of Culex tritaeniorhynchus in the Aegean and Mediterranean region of Türkiye. RESULTS Between 2019 and 2020, 96 samples were collected from 10 geographic populations in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions; they were molecularly analyzed and 139 sequences (50 sequence for COI and 89 sequence for ND5) were used to determine the population structure and genetic diversity. For ND5 gene region, the samples produced 24 haplotypes derived from 15 variable sites and for COI gene region, 43 haplotypes were derived from 17 variable sites. The haplotype for both gene regions was higher than nucleotide diversity. Haplotype phylogeny revealed two groups present in all populations. AMOVA test results show that the geographical populations were the same for all gene regions. Results suggest that Cx. tritaeniorhynchus is a native population in Türkiye, the species is progressing towards speciation and there is no genetic differentiation between provinces and regions. CONCLUSION This study provides useful information on the molecular identifcation and genetic diversity of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus; these results are important to improve mosquito control programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatma Bursali
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, 09100, Türkiye.
| | - Fatih Mehmet Simsek
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, 09100, Türkiye
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Koch RT, Erazo D, Folly AJ, Johnson N, Dellicour S, Grubaugh ND, Vogels CBF. Genomic epidemiology of West Nile virus in Europe. One Health 2024; 18:100664. [PMID: 38193029 PMCID: PMC10772404 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus is one of the most widespread mosquito-borne zoonotic viruses, with unique transmission dynamics in various parts of the world. Genomic surveillance has provided important insights in the global patterns of West Nile virus emergence and spread. In Europe, multiple West Nile virus lineages have been isolated, with lineage 1a and 2 being the main lineages responsible for human infections. In contrast to North America, where a single introduction of lineage 1a resulted in the virus establishing itself in a new continent, at least 13 introductions of lineages 1a and 2 have occurred into Europe, which is likely a vast underestimation of the true number of introductions. Historically, lineage 1a was the main lineage circulating in Europe, but since the emergence of lineage 2 in the early 2000s, the latter has become the predominant lineage. This shift in West Nile virus lineage prevalence has been broadly linked to the expansion of the virus into northerly temperate regions, where autochthonous cases in animals and humans have been reported in Germany and The Netherlands. Here, we discuss how genomic analysis has increased our understanding of the epidemiology of West Nile virus in Europe, and we present a global Nextstrain build consisting of publicly available West Nile virus genomes (https://nextstrain.org/community/grubaughlab/WNV-Global). Our results elucidate recent insights in West Nile virus lineage dynamics in Europe, and discuss how expanded programs can fill current genomic surveillance gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Tobias Koch
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Diana Erazo
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Arran J Folly
- Vector-Borne Diseases, Virology Department, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Addlestone, Surrey, UK
| | - Nicholas Johnson
- Vector-Borne Diseases, Virology Department, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Addlestone, Surrey, UK
| | - Simon Dellicour
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory for Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nathan D Grubaugh
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Institute for Global Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Public Health Modeling Unit, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Chantal B F Vogels
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Institute for Global Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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Bušić N, Klobučar A, Landeka N, Žitko T, Vignjević G, Turić N, Sudarić Bogojević M, Merdić E, Kučinić M, Bruvo Mađarić B. A DNA barcode reference library of Croatian mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae): implications for identification and delimitation of species, with notes on the distribution of potential vector species. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:216. [PMID: 38734639 PMCID: PMC11088778 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06291-9] [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: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mosquitoes pose a risk to human health worldwide, and correct species identification and detection of cryptic species are the most important keys for surveillance and control of mosquito vectors. In addition to traditional identification based on morphology, DNA barcoding has recently been widely used as a complementary tool for reliable identification of mosquito species. The main objective of this study was to create a reference DNA barcode library for the Croatian mosquito fauna, which should contribute to more accurate and faster identification of species, including cryptic species, and recognition of relevant vector species. METHODS Sampling was carried out in three biogeographical regions of Croatia over six years (2017-2022). The mosquitoes were morphologically identified; molecular identification was based on the standard barcoding region of the mitochondrial COI gene and the nuclear ITS2 region, the latter to identify species within the Anopheles maculipennis complex. The BIN-RESL algorithm assigned the COI sequences to the corresponding BINs (Barcode Index Number clusters) in BOLD, i.e. to putative MOTUs (Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units). The bPTP and ASAP species delimitation methods were applied to the genus datasets in order to verify/confirm the assignment of specimens to specific MOTUs. RESULTS A total of 405 mosquito specimens belonging to six genera and 30 morphospecies were collected and processed. Species delimitation methods assigned the samples to 31 (BIN-RESL), 30 (bPTP) and 28 (ASAP) MOTUs, with most delimited MOTUs matching the morphological identification. Some species of the genera Culex, Aedes and Anopheles were assigned to the same MOTUs, especially species that are difficult to distinguish morphologically and/or represent species complexes. In total, COI barcode sequences for 34 mosquito species and ITS2 sequences for three species of the genus Anopheles were added to the mosquito sequence database for Croatia, including one individual from the Intrudens Group, which represents a new record for the Croatian mosquito fauna. CONCLUSION We present the results of the first comprehensive study combining morphological and molecular identification of most mosquito species present in Croatia, including several invasive and vector species. With the exception of some closely related species, this study confirmed that DNA barcoding based on COI provides a reliable basis for the identification of mosquito species in Croatia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataša Bušić
- Department of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia.
| | - Ana Klobučar
- Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Nediljko Landeka
- Teaching Institute for Public Health of the Istrian County, Pula, Croatia
| | - Toni Žitko
- Teaching Institute for Public Health, Split-Dalmatia County, Split, Croatia
| | - Goran Vignjević
- Department of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Nataša Turić
- Department of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
- Teaching Institute for Public Health of the Osijek-Baranja County, Osijek, Croatia
| | | | - Enrih Merdić
- Department of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
| | - Mladen Kučinić
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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Rusenova N, Rusenov A, Chervenkov M, Sirakov I. Seroprevalence of West Nile Virus among Equids in Bulgaria in 2022 and Assessment of Some Risk Factors. Vet Sci 2024; 11:209. [PMID: 38787181 PMCID: PMC11126025 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11050209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyze the seroprevalence of West Nile virus (WNV) among equids in Bulgaria, confirm the results of a competitive ELISA versus the virus neutralization test (VNT) and investigate some predisposing factors for WNV seropositivity. A total of 378 serum samples from 15 provinces in northern and southern Bulgaria were tested. The samples originated from 314 horses and 64 donkeys, 135 males and 243 females, aged from 1 to 30 years. IgG and IgM antibodies against WNV protein E were detected by ELISA. ELISA-positive samples were additionally tested via VNT for WNV and Usutu virus. Thirty-five samples were WNV-positive by ELISA (9.26% [CI = 6.45-12.88]), of which 15 were confirmed by VNT; hence, the seroprevalence was 3.97% (CI = 2.22-6.55). No virus-neutralizing antibodies to Usutu virus were detected among the 35 WNV-ELISA-positive equids in Bulgaria. When compared with VNT, ELISA showed 100.0% sensitivity and 94.5% specificity. A statistical analysis showed that the risk factors associated with WNV seropositivity were the region (p < 0.0001), altitude of the locality (p < 0.0001), type of housing (p < 0.0001) and breed (p = 0.0365). The results of the study demonstrate, albeit indirectly, that WNV circulates among equids in northern and southern Bulgaria, indicating that they could be suitable sentinel animals for predicting human cases and determining the risk in these areas or regions of the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolina Rusenova
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
| | - Anton Rusenov
- Department of Internal Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
| | - Mihail Chervenkov
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Forestry, 1797 Sofia, Bulgaria;
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Ivo Sirakov
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University-Sofia, 2 Zdrave Str., 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria;
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10
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Smith DC, Schäfer SM, Golding N, Nunn MA, White SM, Callaghan A, Purse BV. Vegetation structure drives mosquito community composition in UK's largest managed lowland wetland. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:201. [PMID: 38711091 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06280-y] [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: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The rising burden of mosquito-borne diseases in Europe extends beyond urban areas, encompassing rural and semi-urban regions near managed and natural wetlands evidenced by recent outbreaks of Usutu and West Nile viruses. While wetland management policies focus on biodiversity and ecosystem services, few studies explore the impact on mosquito vectors. METHODS Our research addresses this gap, examining juvenile mosquito and aquatic predator communities in 67 ditch sites within a South England coastal marsh subjected to different wetland management tiers. Using joint distribution models, we analyse how mosquito communities respond to abiotic and biotic factors influenced by wetland management. RESULTS Of the 12 mosquito species identified, Culiseta annulata (Usutu virus vector) and Culex pipiens (Usutu and West Nile virus vector) constitute 47% of 6825 larval mosquitoes. Abundant predators include Coleoptera (water beetles) adults, Corixidae (water boatmen) and Zygoptera (Damselfy) larvae. Models reveal that tier 3 management sites (higher winter water levels, lower agricultural intensity) associated with shade and less floating vegetation are preferred by specific mosquito species. All mosquito species except Anopheles maculipennis s.l., are negatively impacted by potential predators. Culiseta annulata shows positive associations with shaded and turbid water, contrary to preferences of Corixidae predators. CONCLUSIONS Tier 3 areas managed for biodiversity, characterised by higher seasonal water levels and reduced livestock grazing intensity, provide favourable habitats for key mosquito species that are known vectors of arboviruses, such as Usutu and West Nile. Our findings emphasise the impact of biodiversity-focused wetland management, altering mosquito breeding site vegetation to enhance vector suitability. Further exploration of these trade-offs is crucial for comprehending the broader implications of wetland management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Smith
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK.
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 2AJ, UK.
| | - Stefanie M Schäfer
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Nick Golding
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Miles A Nunn
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Steven M White
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Amanda Callaghan
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 2AJ, UK
| | - Bethan V Purse
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, MacLean Building, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, UK
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11
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Rusenova N, Rusenov A, Monaco F. A Retrospective Study on the Seroprevalence of West Nile Virus Among Donkeys and Mules in Bulgaria. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2024; 24:274-277. [PMID: 38294797 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2023.0095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: West Nile virus (WNV) infection, caused by a flavivirus, emerged in Europe and America in the past two decades. The etiological agent causes asymptomatic to life-threatening infection in humans and in some animal species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of WNV among donkeys and mules in Bulgaria. Methods: A total of 200 archived serum samples were tested by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Positive samples were additionally analyzed by virus neutralization assay. Results: Seroprevalence of 7% (14/200) was established among tested animals by ELISA. Two samples were subsequently verified for the presence of virus neutralizing antibodies; thus, the seroprevalence against WNV was determined to be 1% (2/200 [confidence interval = 0.12-3.61]). Positive results among mules included in the study were not found. Conclusion: The findings in the present research demonstrate that donkeys are exposed to WNV infection and seroconvert, which adds to the understanding of virus circulation among donkeys in settlements in north and south Bulgaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolina Rusenova
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
| | - Anton Rusenov
- Department of Internal Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
| | - Federica Monaco
- Department of Diagnostics and Surveillance of Exotic Diseases, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale," Teramo, Italy
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12
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Varga Z, Bueno-Marí R, Risueño Iranzo J, Kurucz K, Tóth GE, Zana B, Zeghbib S, Görföl T, Jakab F, Kemenesi G. Accelerating targeted mosquito control efforts through mobile West Nile virus detection. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:140. [PMID: 38500161 PMCID: PMC10949795 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06231-7] [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: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Different mosquito control strategies have been implemented to mitigate or prevent mosquito-related public health situations. Modern mosquito control largely relies on multiple approaches, including targeted, specific treatments. Given this, it is becoming increasingly important to supplement these activities with rapid and mobile diagnostic capacities for mosquito-borne diseases. We aimed to create and test the applicability of a rapid diagnostic system for West Nile virus that can be used under field conditions. METHODS In this pilot study, various types of adult mosquito traps were applied within the regular mosquito monitoring activity framework for mosquito control. Then, the captured specimens were used for the detection of West Nile virus RNA under field conditions with a portable qRT-PCR approach within 3-4 h. Then, positive samples were subjected to confirmatory RT-PCR or NGS sequencing in the laboratory to obtain genome information of the virus. We implemented phylogenetic analysis to characterize circulating strains. RESULTS A total of 356 mosquito individuals representing 7 species were processed in 54 pools, each containing up to 20 individuals. These pools were tested for the presence of West Nile virus, and two pools tested positive, containing specimens from the Culex pipiens and Anopheles atroparvus mosquito species. As a result of subsequent sequencing, we present the complete genome of West Nile virus and Bagaza virus. CONCLUSIONS The rapid identification of infected mosquitoes is the most important component of quick response adulticide or larvicide treatments to prevent human cases. The conceptual framework of real-time surveillance can be optimized for other pathogens and situations not only in relation to West Nile virus. We present an early warning system for mosquito-borne diseases and demonstrate its application to aid rapid-response mosquito control actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsaklin Varga
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Rubén Bueno-Marí
- Department of Research and Development, Laboratorios Lokímica, Valencia, Spain
- Parasite & Health Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - José Risueño Iranzo
- Department of Research and Development, Laboratorios Lokímica, Valencia, Spain
| | - Kornélia Kurucz
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gábor Endre Tóth
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Brigitta Zana
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Safia Zeghbib
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Tamás Görföl
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Jakab
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gábor Kemenesi
- National Laboratory of Virology, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
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13
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Pelz JO, Mühlberg C, Friedrich I, Weidhase L, Zimmermann S, Maier M, Pietsch C. A Specific Pattern of Routine Cerebrospinal Fluid Parameters Might Help to Identify Cases of West Nile Virus Neuroinvasive Disease. Viruses 2024; 16:341. [PMID: 38543707 PMCID: PMC10974314 DOI: 10.3390/v16030341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Viral meningitis/encephalitis (ME) is a rare but potentially harmful disease. The prompt identification of the respective virus is important to guide not only treatment but also potential public health countermeasures. However, in about 40% of cases, no virus is identified despite an extensive diagnostic workup. The aim of the present study was to analyze demographic, seasonal, and routine cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) parameters in cases of viral ME and assess their utility for the prediction of the causative virus. METHODS Demographic data, season, and routine CSF parameters (total leucocytes, CSF cell differentiation, age-adjusted CSF/serum albumin ratio, and total immunoglobulin ratios) were retrospectively assessed in cases of viral ME. RESULTS In total, 156 cases of acute viral ME (74 female, median age 40.0 years) were treated at a tertiary-care hospital in Germany. Specific viral infections were detected in 93 (59.6%) cases. Of these, 14 (9.0%) cases were caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV), 36 (23.1%) by varicella-zoster virus (VZV), 27 (17.3%) by enteroviruses, 9 (5.8%) by West Nile virus (WNV), and 7 (4.5%) by other specific viruses. Additionally, 64 (41.0%) cases of ME of unknown viral etiology were diagnosed. Cases of WNV ME were older, predominantly male, showed a severe disruption of the blood-CSF-barrier, a high proportion of neutrophils in CSF, and an intrathecal total immunoglobulin M synthesis in the first CSF sample. In a multinominal logistic regression analysis, the accuracy of these CSF parameters together with age and seasonality was best for the prediction of WNV (87.5%), followed by unknown viral etiology (66.7%), VZV (61.8%), and enteroviruses (51.9%). CONCLUSIONS Cases with WNV ME showed a specific pattern of routine CSF parameters and demographic data that allowed for their identification with good accuracy. These findings might help to guide the diagnostic workup in cases with viral ME, in particular allowing the timely identification of cases with ME due to WNV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johann Otto Pelz
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christoph Mühlberg
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Isabel Friedrich
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lorenz Weidhase
- Medical Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Silke Zimmermann
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, University Hospital Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Melanie Maier
- Department of Virology, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Corinna Pietsch
- Department of Virology, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University Hospital Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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14
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Odigie AE, Stufano A, Schino V, Zarea AAK, Ndiana LA, Mrenoshki D, Ugochukwu ICI, Lovreglio P, Greco G, Pratelli A, Camero M, Tempesta M. West Nile Virus Infection in Occupational Settings-A Systematic Review. Pathogens 2024; 13:157. [PMID: 38392895 PMCID: PMC10892351 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13020157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging mosquito-borne neurotropic virus, belonging to the Flaviviridae family and the Orthoflavivirus genus. The effective control of WNV requires a targeted preventive strategy that also needs the identification of the higher-risk populations. Hence, this study focused on a systematic literature review of WNV-acquired infection in work-related settings and the assessment of the exposure risks among different occupational categories. METHODS A comprehensive search was conducted to identify studies until September 2023 in multiple databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS and Web of Science, according to the PRISMA 2020 statement. Risk of bias of collected papers was assessed by the ROB tool of the National Toxicology Program's Office of Health Assessment and Translation handbook. RESULTS A total of 21 studies were included in the systematic review, out of which seventeen were observational studies and four were case reports. Workers identified as at higher risk for WNV infection were military workers, veterinarians, agricultural workers, farmers, and laboratory workers with contact with infected fluids or aerosols. CONCLUSIONS The identification of higher-risk workers could facilitate active surveillance by occupational physicians, which could improve our understanding of the epidemiology of WNV and, in addition, could help tailor appropriate preventive recommendations, reducing the overall burden of disease in high-risk areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amienwanlen E. Odigie
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, SP 62 Casamassima km 3, 70010 Valenzano, Italy; (A.E.O.); (A.A.K.Z.); (L.A.N.); (D.M.); (I.C.I.U.); (G.G.); (A.P.); (M.C.); (M.T.)
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, University of Benin, Benin City 301154, Nigeria
| | - Angela Stufano
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine-Section of Occupational Medicine, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy; (V.S.); (P.L.)
| | - Valentina Schino
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine-Section of Occupational Medicine, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy; (V.S.); (P.L.)
| | - Aya Attia Koraney Zarea
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, SP 62 Casamassima km 3, 70010 Valenzano, Italy; (A.E.O.); (A.A.K.Z.); (L.A.N.); (D.M.); (I.C.I.U.); (G.G.); (A.P.); (M.C.); (M.T.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Veterinary Research Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki 12622, Egypt
| | - Linda A. Ndiana
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, SP 62 Casamassima km 3, 70010 Valenzano, Italy; (A.E.O.); (A.A.K.Z.); (L.A.N.); (D.M.); (I.C.I.U.); (G.G.); (A.P.); (M.C.); (M.T.)
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike 440101, Nigeria
| | - Daniela Mrenoshki
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, SP 62 Casamassima km 3, 70010 Valenzano, Italy; (A.E.O.); (A.A.K.Z.); (L.A.N.); (D.M.); (I.C.I.U.); (G.G.); (A.P.); (M.C.); (M.T.)
| | - Iniobong C. I. Ugochukwu
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, SP 62 Casamassima km 3, 70010 Valenzano, Italy; (A.E.O.); (A.A.K.Z.); (L.A.N.); (D.M.); (I.C.I.U.); (G.G.); (A.P.); (M.C.); (M.T.)
- Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria
| | - Piero Lovreglio
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine-Section of Occupational Medicine, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy; (V.S.); (P.L.)
| | - Grazia Greco
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, SP 62 Casamassima km 3, 70010 Valenzano, Italy; (A.E.O.); (A.A.K.Z.); (L.A.N.); (D.M.); (I.C.I.U.); (G.G.); (A.P.); (M.C.); (M.T.)
| | - Annamaria Pratelli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, SP 62 Casamassima km 3, 70010 Valenzano, Italy; (A.E.O.); (A.A.K.Z.); (L.A.N.); (D.M.); (I.C.I.U.); (G.G.); (A.P.); (M.C.); (M.T.)
| | - Michele Camero
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, SP 62 Casamassima km 3, 70010 Valenzano, Italy; (A.E.O.); (A.A.K.Z.); (L.A.N.); (D.M.); (I.C.I.U.); (G.G.); (A.P.); (M.C.); (M.T.)
| | - Maria Tempesta
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, SP 62 Casamassima km 3, 70010 Valenzano, Italy; (A.E.O.); (A.A.K.Z.); (L.A.N.); (D.M.); (I.C.I.U.); (G.G.); (A.P.); (M.C.); (M.T.)
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15
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Erazo D, Grant L, Ghisbain G, Marini G, Colón-González FJ, Wint W, Rizzoli A, Van Bortel W, Vogels CBF, Grubaugh ND, Mengel M, Frieler K, Thiery W, Dellicour S. Contribution of climate change to the spatial expansion of West Nile virus in Europe. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1196. [PMID: 38331945 PMCID: PMC10853512 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45290-3] [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: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging mosquito-borne pathogen in Europe where it represents a new public health threat. While climate change has been cited as a potential driver of its spatial expansion on the continent, a formal evaluation of this causal relationship is lacking. Here, we investigate the extent to which WNV spatial expansion in Europe can be attributed to climate change while accounting for other direct human influences such as land-use and human population changes. To this end, we trained ecological niche models to predict the risk of local WNV circulation leading to human cases to then unravel the isolated effect of climate change by comparing factual simulations to a counterfactual based on the same environmental changes but a counterfactual climate where long-term trends have been removed. Our findings demonstrate a notable increase in the area ecologically suitable for WNV circulation during the period 1901-2019, whereas this area remains largely unchanged in a no-climate-change counterfactual. We show that the drastic increase in the human population at risk of exposure is partly due to historical changes in population density, but that climate change has also been a critical driver behind the heightened risk of WNV circulation in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Erazo
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Luke Grant
- Department of Water and Climate, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Guillaume Ghisbain
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Zoology, Research Institute for Biosciences, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium
| | - Giovanni Marini
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy
| | | | - William Wint
- Environmental Research Group Oxford Ltd, Department of Biology, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Annapaola Rizzoli
- Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all'Adige, Trento, Italy
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Unit Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Outbreak Research team, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Chantal B F Vogels
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nathan D Grubaugh
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Matthias Mengel
- Department Transformation Pathways, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Katja Frieler
- Department Transformation Pathways, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Potsdam, Germany
| | - Wim Thiery
- Department of Water and Climate, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Simon Dellicour
- Spatial Epidemiology Lab (SpELL), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory for Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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16
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Lu L, Zhang F, Oude Munnink BB, Munger E, Sikkema RS, Pappa S, Tsioka K, Sinigaglia A, Dal Molin E, Shih BB, Günther A, Pohlmann A, Ziegler U, Beer M, Taylor RA, Bartumeus F, Woolhouse M, Aarestrup FM, Barzon L, Papa A, Lycett S, Koopmans MPG. West Nile virus spread in Europe: Phylogeographic pattern analysis and key drivers. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011880. [PMID: 38271294 PMCID: PMC10810478 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND West Nile virus (WNV) outbreaks in birds, humans, and livestock have occurred in multiple areas in Europe and have had a significant impact on animal and human health. The patterns of emergence and spread of WNV in Europe are very different from those in the US and understanding these are important for guiding preparedness activities. METHODS We mapped the evolution and spread history of WNV in Europe by incorporating viral genome sequences and epidemiological data into phylodynamic models. Spatially explicit phylogeographic models were developed to explore the possible contribution of different drivers to viral dispersal direction and velocity. A "skygrid-GLM" approach was used to identify how changes in environments would predict viral genetic diversity variations over time. FINDINGS Among the six lineages found in Europe, WNV-2a (a sub-lineage of WNV-2) has been predominant (accounting for 73% of all sequences obtained in Europe that have been shared in the public domain) and has spread to at least 14 countries. In the past two decades, WNV-2a has evolved into two major co-circulating clusters, both originating from Central Europe, but with distinct dynamic history and transmission patterns. WNV-2a spreads at a high dispersal velocity (88km/yr-215 km/yr) which is correlated to bird movements. Notably, amongst multiple drivers that could affect the spread of WNV, factors related to land use were found to strongly influence the spread of WNV. Specifically, the intensity of agricultural activities (defined by factors related to crops and livestock production, such as coverage of cropland, pasture, cultivated and managed vegetation, livestock density) were positively associated with both spread direction and velocity. In addition, WNV spread direction was associated with high coverage of wetlands and migratory bird flyways. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that-in addition to ecological conditions favouring bird- and mosquito- presence-agricultural land use may be a significant driver of WNV emergence and spread. Our study also identified significant gaps in data and the need to strengthen virological surveillance in countries of Central Europe from where WNV outbreaks are likely seeded. Enhanced monitoring for early detection of further dispersal could be targeted to areas with high agricultural activities and habitats of migratory birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Lu
- Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Feifei Zhang
- Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Bas B. Oude Munnink
- Erasmus MC, Viroscience and Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Emmanuelle Munger
- Erasmus MC, Viroscience and Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Reina S. Sikkema
- Erasmus MC, Viroscience and Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Styliani Pappa
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Katerina Tsioka
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | | | - Barbara B. Shih
- Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Günther
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Riems, Germany
| | - Anne Pohlmann
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Riems, Germany
| | - Ute Ziegler
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Riems, Germany
| | - Martin Beer
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Riems, Germany
| | - Rachel A. Taylor
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences, Animal and Plant Health Agency, United Kingdom
| | - Frederic Bartumeus
- Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Girona, Spain
- Centre for Research on Ecology and Forestry Applications (CREAF), Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mark Woolhouse
- Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Frank M. Aarestrup
- Research Group for Genomic Epidemiology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Luisa Barzon
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Anna Papa
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Samantha Lycett
- Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Marion P. G. Koopmans
- Erasmus MC, Viroscience and Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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17
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Ben-Mostafa KK, Savini G, Di Gennaro A, Teodori L, Leone A, Monaco F, Alaoqib MMA, Rayes AA, Dayhum A, Eldaghayes I. Evidence of West Nile Virus Circulation in Horses and Dogs in Libya. Pathogens 2023; 13:41. [PMID: 38251348 PMCID: PMC10820222 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13010041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is a globally significant mosquito-borne Flavivirus that causes West Nile disease (WND). In Libya, evidence of WNV circulation has been reported in humans but never in animals. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of WNV infection in horses and dogs in Libya. In total, 574 and 63 serum samples were collected from apparently healthy, unvaccinated horses and dogs, respectively, between 2016 and 2019. A commercially available competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA) kit was initially used to test the collected samples for the presence of WNV Ig-G antibodies. Positive and doubtful sera were also tested using a more specific virus neutralisation assay to confirm whether the ELISA-positive results were due to WNV or other Flavivirus antibodies. The seroprevalence of WNV IgG antibodies according to ELISA was 13.2% out of 574 of total horses' samples and 30.2% out of 63 of total dogs' samples. The virus neutralisation test (VNT) confirmed that 10.8% (62/574) and 27% (17/63) were positive for WNV-neutralising titres ranging from 1:10 to 1:640. Univariable analysis using chi-square tests was conducted to measure the statistical significance of the association between the hypothesized risk factors including city, sex, breed, and age group and were then analyzed using the subsequent multivariable logistic regression model for horse samples. Age group was found to be the only significant risk factor in this study. The results of the present study provide new evidence about WNV circulation in Libya.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kholoud Khalid Ben-Mostafa
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli P.O. Box 13662, Libya
- National Center for Animal Health, Tripoli P.O. Box 83252, Libya
| | - Giovanni Savini
- Department of Virology and Tissue Culture, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G.Caporale”, 64100 Teramo, Italy
| | - Annapia Di Gennaro
- Department of Virology and Tissue Culture, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G.Caporale”, 64100 Teramo, Italy
| | - Liana Teodori
- Department of Virology and Tissue Culture, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G.Caporale”, 64100 Teramo, Italy
| | - Alessandra Leone
- Department of Virology and Tissue Culture, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G.Caporale”, 64100 Teramo, Italy
| | - Federica Monaco
- Department of Virology and Tissue Culture, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G.Caporale”, 64100 Teramo, Italy
| | - Mohammed Masoud A. Alaoqib
- Department of Internal and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Albaida P.O. Box 919, Libya
| | - Abdunnabi A. Rayes
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli P.O. Box 13932, Libya
| | - Abdunaser Dayhum
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli P.O. Box 13662, Libya
| | - Ibrahim Eldaghayes
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tripoli, Tripoli P.O. Box 13662, Libya
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18
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Paquette SJ, Simon AY, XIII A, Kobinger GP, Shahhosseini N. Medically Significant Vector-Borne Viral Diseases in Iran. Microorganisms 2023; 11:3006. [PMID: 38138150 PMCID: PMC10745727 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11123006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Vector-borne viral diseases (VBVDs) continue to pose a considerable public health risk to animals and humans globally. Vectors have integral roles in autochthonous circulation and dissemination of VBVDs worldwide. The interplay of agricultural activities, population expansion, urbanization, host/pathogen evolution, and climate change, all contribute to the continual flux in shaping the epidemiology of VBVDs. In recent decades, VBVDs, once endemic to particular countries, have expanded into new regions such as Iran and its neighbors, increasing the risk of outbreaks and other public health concerns. Both Iran and its neighboring countries are known to host a number of VBVDs that are endemic to these countries or newly circulating. The proximity of Iran to countries hosting regional diseases, along with increased global socioeconomic activities, e.g., international trade and travel, potentially increases the risk for introduction of new VBVDs into Iran. In this review, we examined the epidemiology of numerous VBVDs circulating in Iran, such as Chikungunya virus, Dengue virus, Sindbis virus, West Nile virus, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, Sandfly-borne phleboviruses, and Hantavirus, in relation to their vectors, specifically mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, and rodents. In addition, we discussed the interplay of factors, e.g., urbanization and climate change on VBVD dissemination patterns and the consequent public health risks in Iran, highlighting the importance of a One Health approach to further surveil and to evolve mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah-Jo Paquette
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada;
| | - Ayo Yila Simon
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada;
| | - Ara XIII
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (A.X.); (G.P.K.)
| | - Gary P. Kobinger
- Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; (A.X.); (G.P.K.)
| | - Nariman Shahhosseini
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada;
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19
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Romanello M, Napoli CD, Green C, Kennard H, Lampard P, Scamman D, Walawender M, Ali Z, Ameli N, Ayeb-Karlsson S, Beggs PJ, Belesova K, Berrang Ford L, Bowen K, Cai W, Callaghan M, Campbell-Lendrum D, Chambers J, Cross TJ, van Daalen KR, Dalin C, Dasandi N, Dasgupta S, Davies M, Dominguez-Salas P, Dubrow R, Ebi KL, Eckelman M, Ekins P, Freyberg C, Gasparyan O, Gordon-Strachan G, Graham H, Gunther SH, Hamilton I, Hang Y, Hänninen R, Hartinger S, He K, Heidecke J, Hess JJ, Hsu SC, Jamart L, Jankin S, Jay O, Kelman I, Kiesewetter G, Kinney P, Kniveton D, Kouznetsov R, Larosa F, Lee JKW, Lemke B, Liu Y, Liu Z, Lott M, Lotto Batista M, Lowe R, Odhiambo Sewe M, Martinez-Urtaza J, Maslin M, McAllister L, McMichael C, Mi Z, Milner J, Minor K, Minx JC, Mohajeri N, Momen NC, Moradi-Lakeh M, Morrissey K, Munzert S, Murray KA, Neville T, Nilsson M, Obradovich N, O'Hare MB, Oliveira C, Oreszczyn T, Otto M, Owfi F, Pearman O, Pega F, Pershing A, Rabbaniha M, Rickman J, Robinson EJZ, Rocklöv J, Salas RN, Semenza JC, Sherman JD, Shumake-Guillemot J, Silbert G, Sofiev M, Springmann M, Stowell JD, Tabatabaei M, Taylor J, Thompson R, Tonne C, Treskova M, Trinanes JA, Wagner F, Warnecke L, Whitcombe H, Winning M, Wyns A, Yglesias-González M, Zhang S, Zhang Y, Zhu Q, Gong P, Montgomery H, Costello A. The 2023 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: the imperative for a health-centred response in a world facing irreversible harms. Lancet 2023; 402:2346-2394. [PMID: 37977174 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(23)01859-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 99.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marina Romanello
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Claudia di Napoli
- School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Carole Green
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Harry Kennard
- Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pete Lampard
- Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK
| | - Daniel Scamman
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Maria Walawender
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Zakari Ali
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Nadia Ameli
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson
- Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction, University College London, London, UK
| | - Paul J Beggs
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | - Kathryn Bowen
- School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Wenjia Cai
- Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Max Callaghan
- Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, Berlin, Germany
| | - Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum
- Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan Chambers
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Troy J Cross
- Heat and Health Research Incubator, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Carole Dalin
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Niheer Dasandi
- International Development Department, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Shouro Dasgupta
- Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change Foundation, Lecce, Italy
| | - Michael Davies
- Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Robert Dubrow
- School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kristie L Ebi
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Matthew Eckelman
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paul Ekins
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Chris Freyberg
- Department of Information Systems, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Olga Gasparyan
- Department of Political Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | | | - Hilary Graham
- Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK
| | - Samuel H Gunther
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ian Hamilton
- Energy Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Yun Hang
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | | | - Stella Hartinger
- Carlos Vidal Layseca School of Public Health and Management, Cayetano Heredia Pervuvian University, Lima, Peru
| | - Kehan He
- Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, London, UK
| | - Julian Heidecke
- Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jeremy J Hess
- Centre for Health and the Global Environment, University of Washington, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Shih-Che Hsu
- Energy Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Louis Jamart
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Slava Jankin
- Centre for AI in Government, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Ollie Jay
- Heat and Health Research Incubator, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ilan Kelman
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gregor Kiesewetter
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Energy, Climate, and Environment Program, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Patrick Kinney
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dominic Kniveton
- School of Global Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton and Hove, UK
| | | | - Francesca Larosa
- Engineering Mechanics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jason K W Lee
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bruno Lemke
- School of Health, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, Nelson, New Zealand
| | - Yang Liu
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Zhao Liu
- Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Melissa Lott
- Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Rachel Lowe
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Jaime Martinez-Urtaza
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Mark Maslin
- Department of Geography, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lucy McAllister
- Environmental Studies Program, Denison University, Granville, OH, USA
| | - Celia McMichael
- School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Zhifu Mi
- Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, London, UK
| | - James Milner
- Department of Public Health Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kelton Minor
- Data Science Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jan C Minx
- Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nahid Mohajeri
- Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, London, UK
| | - Natalie C Momen
- Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maziar Moradi-Lakeh
- Preventive Medicine and Public Health Research Center, Psychosocial Health Research Institute, Department of Community and Family Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Karyn Morrissey
- Department of Technology Management and Economics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Kris A Murray
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Tara Neville
- Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maria Nilsson
- Department for Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Megan B O'Hare
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Camile Oliveira
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Matthias Otto
- School of Health, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, Nelson, New Zealand
| | - Fereidoon Owfi
- Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Tehran, Iran
| | - Olivia Pearman
- Center for Science and Technology Policy, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Frank Pega
- Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Jamie Rickman
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth J Z Robinson
- Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
| | - Joacim Rocklöv
- Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Renee N Salas
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jan C Semenza
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jodi D Sherman
- Department of Anesthesiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Grant Silbert
- Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Marco Springmann
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Meisam Tabatabaei
- Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Jonathon Taylor
- Department of Civil Engineering, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | | | - Cathryn Tonne
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marina Treskova
- Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Joaquin A Trinanes
- Department of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago, Spain
| | - Fabian Wagner
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Energy, Climate, and Environment Program, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Laura Warnecke
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Energy, Climate, and Environment Program, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Hannah Whitcombe
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew Winning
- Institute for Sustainable Resources, University College London, London, UK
| | - Arthur Wyns
- Melbourne Climate Futures, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Marisol Yglesias-González
- Centro Latinoamericano de Excelencia en Cambio Climatico y Salud, Cayetano Heredia Pervuvian University, Lima, Peru
| | - Shihui Zhang
- Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Qiao Zhu
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
| | - Peng Gong
- Department of Geography, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Hugh Montgomery
- Department of Experimental and Translational Medicine and Division of Medicine, University College London, London, UK
| | - Anthony Costello
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK
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20
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Gamble A, Olarte-Castillo XA, Whittaker GR. Backyard zoonoses: The roles of companion animals and peri-domestic wildlife. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eadj0037. [PMID: 37851821 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adj0037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
The spillover of human infectious diseases from animal reservoirs is now well appreciated. However, societal and climate-related changes are affecting the dynamics of such interfaces. In addition to the disruption of traditional wildlife habitats, in part because of climate change and human demographics and behavior, there is an increasing zoonotic disease risk from companion animals. This includes such factors as the awareness of animals kept as domestic pets and increasing populations of free-ranging animals in peri-domestic environments. This review presents background and commentary focusing on companion and peri-domestic animals as disease risk for humans, taking into account the human-animal interface and population dynamics between the animals themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Gamble
- School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Ximena A Olarte-Castillo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Gary R Whittaker
- Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Atkinson Center for Sustainability, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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21
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García-Carrasco JM, Muñoz AR, Olivero J, Segura M, García-Bocanegra I, Real R. West Nile virus in the Iberian Peninsula: using equine cases to identify high-risk areas for humans. Euro Surveill 2023; 28:2200844. [PMID: 37796440 PMCID: PMC10557382 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2023.28.40.2200844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundWest Nile virus (WNV) is a flavivirus with an enzootic cycle between birds and mosquitoes; humans and horses are incidental dead-end hosts. In 2020, the largest outbreak of West Nile virus infection in the Iberian Peninsula occurred, with 141 clusters in horses and 77 human cases.AimWe analysed which drivers influence spillover from the cycle to humans and equines and identified areas at risk for WNV transmission.MethodsBased on data on WNV cases in horses and humans in 2020 in Portugal and Spain, we developed logistic regression models using environmental and anthropic variables to highlight risk areas. Models were adapted to a high-resolution risk map.ResultsCases of WNV in horses could be used as indicators of viral activity and thus predict cases in humans. The risk map of horses was able to define high-risk areas for previous cases in humans and equines in Portugal and Spain, as well as predict human and horse cases in the transmission seasons of 2021 and 2022. We found that the spatial patterns of the favourable areas for outbreaks correspond to the main hydrographic basins of the Iberian Peninsula, jointly affecting Portugal and Spain.ConclusionA risk map highlighting the risk areas for potential future cases could be cost-effective as a means of promoting preventive measures to decrease incidence of WNV infection in Europe, based on a One Health surveillance approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- José-María García-Carrasco
- Biogeography, Diversity and Conservation Lab, Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Antonio-Román Muñoz
- Biogeography, Diversity and Conservation Lab, Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Jesús Olivero
- Biogeography, Diversity and Conservation Lab, Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Marina Segura
- International Vaccination Center of Malaga, Maritime Port of Malaga, Ministry of Health, Consumption and Social Welfare, Government of Spain, Málaga, Spain
| | | | - Raimundo Real
- Biogeography, Diversity and Conservation Lab, Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
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22
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Williams RAJ, Sánchez-Llatas CJ, Doménech A, Madrid R, Fandiño S, Cea-Callejo P, Gomez-Lucia E, Benítez L. Emerging and Novel Viruses in Passerine Birds. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2355. [PMID: 37764199 PMCID: PMC10536639 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11092355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
There is growing interest in emerging viruses that can cause serious or lethal disease in humans and animals. The proliferation of cloacal virome studies, mainly focused on poultry and other domestic birds, reveals a wide variety of viruses, although their pathogenic significance is currently uncertain. Analysis of viruses detected in wild birds is complex and often biased towards waterfowl because of the obvious interest in avian influenza or other zoonotic viruses. Less is known about the viruses present in the order Passeriformes, which comprises approximately 60% of extant bird species. This review aims to compile the most significant contributions on the DNA/RNA viruses affecting passerines, from traditional and metagenomic studies. It highlights that most passerine species have never been sampled. Especially the RNA viruses from Flaviviridae, Orthomyxoviridae and Togaviridae are considered emerging because of increased incidence or avian mortality/morbidity, spread to new geographical areas or hosts and their zoonotic risk. Arguably poxvirus, and perhaps other virus groups, could also be considered "emerging viruses". However, many of these viruses have only recently been described in passerines using metagenomics and their role in the ecosystem is unknown. Finally, it is noteworthy that only one third of the viruses affecting passerines have been officially recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A. J. Williams
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology, School of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), C. de José Antonio Nováis, 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (C.J.S.-L.); (R.M.); (P.C.-C.); (L.B.)
- “Animal Viruses” Research Group, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.D.); (S.F.); (E.G.-L.)
| | - Christian J. Sánchez-Llatas
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology, School of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), C. de José Antonio Nováis, 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (C.J.S.-L.); (R.M.); (P.C.-C.); (L.B.)
| | - Ana Doménech
- “Animal Viruses” Research Group, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.D.); (S.F.); (E.G.-L.)
- Deparment of Animal Health, Veterinary Faculty, Complutense University of Madrid, Av. Puerta de Hierro, s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ricardo Madrid
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology, School of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), C. de José Antonio Nováis, 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (C.J.S.-L.); (R.M.); (P.C.-C.); (L.B.)
- “Animal Viruses” Research Group, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.D.); (S.F.); (E.G.-L.)
| | - Sergio Fandiño
- “Animal Viruses” Research Group, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.D.); (S.F.); (E.G.-L.)
- Deparment of Animal Health, Veterinary Faculty, Complutense University of Madrid, Av. Puerta de Hierro, s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Cea-Callejo
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology, School of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), C. de José Antonio Nováis, 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (C.J.S.-L.); (R.M.); (P.C.-C.); (L.B.)
- “Animal Viruses” Research Group, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.D.); (S.F.); (E.G.-L.)
| | - Esperanza Gomez-Lucia
- “Animal Viruses” Research Group, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.D.); (S.F.); (E.G.-L.)
- Deparment of Animal Health, Veterinary Faculty, Complutense University of Madrid, Av. Puerta de Hierro, s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Benítez
- Department of Genetics, Physiology, and Microbiology, School of Biology, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), C. de José Antonio Nováis, 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (C.J.S.-L.); (R.M.); (P.C.-C.); (L.B.)
- “Animal Viruses” Research Group, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.D.); (S.F.); (E.G.-L.)
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Soto A, De Coninck L, Devlies AS, Van De Wiele C, Rosales Rosas AL, Wang L, Matthijnssens J, Delang L. Belgian Culex pipiens pipiens are competent vectors for West Nile virus while Culex modestus are competent vectors for Usutu virus. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011649. [PMID: 37729233 PMCID: PMC10545110 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are emerging arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) in Europe transmitted by Culex mosquitoes. In Belgium, it is currently unknown which Culex species are competent vectors for WNV or USUV and if these mosquitoes carry Wolbachia, an endosymbiotic bacterium that can block arbovirus transmission. The aims of our study were to measure the vector competence of Belgian Culex mosquitoes to WNV and USUV and determine if a naturally acquired Wolbachia infection can influence virus transmission. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Female Culex mosquitoes were captured from urban and peri-urban sites in Leuven, Belgium and offered an infectious bloodmeal containing WNV lineage 2, USUV European (EU) lineage 3, or USUV African (AF) lineage 3. Blood-fed females were incubated for 14 days at 25°C after which the body, head, and saliva were collected to measure infection, dissemination, and transmission rates as well as transmission efficiency. Mosquito species were identified by qRT-PCR or Sanger sequencing, the presence of infectious virus in mosquitoes was confirmed by plaque assays, and viral genome copies were quantified by qRT-PCR. Culex pipiens pipiens were able to transmit WNV (4.3% transmission efficiency, n = 2/47) but not USUV (EU lineage: n = 0/56; AF lineage: n = 0/37). In contrast, Culex modestus were able to transmit USUV (AF lineage: 20% transmission efficiency, n = 1/5) but not WNV (n = 0/6). We found that the presence or absence of Wolbachia was species-dependent and did not associate with virus transmission. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE This is the first report that Belgian Culex mosquitoes can transmit both WNV and USUV, forewarning the risk of human transmission. More research is needed to understand the potential influence of Wolbachia on arbovirus transmission in Culex modestus mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Soto
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lander De Coninck
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ann-Sophie Devlies
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Celine Van De Wiele
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ana Lucia Rosales Rosas
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lanjiao Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jelle Matthijnssens
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Leen Delang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Promoting the science of One Health. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4735. [PMID: 37550309 PMCID: PMC10406951 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40293-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
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Dub T, Mäkelä H, Van Kleef E, Leblond A, Mercier A, Hénaux V, Bouyer F, Binot A, Thiongane O, Lancelot R, Delconte V, Zamuner L, Van Bortel W, Arsevska E. Epidemic intelligence activities among national public and animal health agencies: a European cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1488. [PMID: 37542208 PMCID: PMC10401758 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16396-y] [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: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epidemic Intelligence (EI) encompasses all activities related to early identification, verification, analysis, assessment, and investigation of health threats. It integrates an indicator-based (IBS) component using systematically collected surveillance data, and an event-based component (EBS), using non-official, non-verified, non-structured data from multiple sources. We described current EI practices in Europe by conducting a survey of national Public Health (PH) and Animal Health (AH) agencies. We included generic questions on the structure, mandate and scope of the institute, on the existence and coordination of EI activities, followed by a section where respondents provided a description of EI activities for three diseases out of seven disease models. Out of 81 gatekeeper agencies from 41 countries contacted, 34 agencies (42%) from 26 (63%) different countries responded, out of which, 32 conducted EI activities. Less than half (15/32; 47%) had teams dedicated to EI activities and 56% (18/34) had Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in place. On a national level, a combination of IBS and EBS was the most common data source. Most respondents monitored the epidemiological situation in bordering countries, the rest of Europe and the world. EI systems were heterogeneous across countries and diseases. National IBS activities strongly relied on mandatory laboratory-based surveillance systems. The collection, analysis and interpretation of IBS information was performed manually for most disease models. Depending on the disease, some respondents did not have any EBS activity. Most respondents conducted signal assessment manually through expert review. Cross-sectoral collaboration was heterogeneous. More than half of the responding institutes collaborated on various levels (data sharing, communication, etc.) with neighbouring countries and/or international structures, across most disease models. Our findings emphasise a notable engagement in EI activities across PH and AH institutes of Europe, but opportunities exist for better integration, standardisation, and automatization of these efforts. A strong reliance on traditional IBS and laboratory-based surveillance systems, emphasises the key role of in-country laboratories networks. EI activities may benefit particularly from investments in cross-border collaboration, the development of methods that can automatise signal assessment in both IBS and EBS data, as well as further investments in the collection of EBS data beyond scientific literature and mainstream media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothee Dub
- Department of Health security, Finish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Henna Mäkelä
- Department of Health security, Finish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Esther Van Kleef
- Department of Public Health, Institute of tropical medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Agnes Leblond
- UMR EPIA, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, University of Lyon, Marcy l'Etoile, F-69280, France
| | - Alizé Mercier
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Viviane Hénaux
- Unité Epidémiologie et appui à la surveillance, Université de Lyon-Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail (Anses), Lyon, France
| | - Fanny Bouyer
- Groupe d'Expérimentation et de Recherche: Développement et Actions Locales (GERDAL), Angers, France
| | - Aurelie Binot
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Oumy Thiongane
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Renaud Lancelot
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
| | - Valentina Delconte
- OpenGeoHub foundation, Agro Business Park 10, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lea Zamuner
- OpenGeoHub foundation, Agro Business Park 10, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Wim Van Bortel
- Outbreak Research Team, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of tropical medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
- Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of tropical medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Elena Arsevska
- Joint Research Unit Animal, Health, Territories, Risks, Ecosystems (UMR ASTRE), French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Montpellier, France
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Wint GRW, Balenghien T, Berriatua E, Braks M, Marsboom C, Medlock J, Schaffner F, Van Bortel W, Alexander N, Alten B, Czwienczek E, Dhollander S, Ducheyne E, Gossner CM, Hansford K, Hendrickx G, Honrubia H, Matheussen T, Mihalca AD, Petric D, Richardson J, Sprong H, Versteirt V, Briet O. VectorNet: collaborative mapping of arthropod disease vectors in Europe and surrounding areas since 2010. Euro Surveill 2023; 28:2200666. [PMID: 37382886 PMCID: PMC10311950 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2023.28.26.2200666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundArthropod vectors such as ticks, mosquitoes, sandflies and biting midges are of public and veterinary health significance because of the pathogens they can transmit. Understanding their distributions is a key means of assessing risk. VectorNet maps their distribution in the EU and surrounding areas.AimWe aim to describe the methodology underlying VectorNet maps, encourage standardisation and evaluate output.Methods: Vector distribution and surveillance activity data have been collected since 2010 from a combination of literature searches, field-survey data by entomologist volunteers via a network facilitated for each participating country and expert validation. Data were collated by VectorNet members and extensively validated during data entry and mapping processes.ResultsAs of 2021, the VectorNet archive consisted of ca 475,000 records relating to > 330 species. Maps for 42 species are routinely produced online at subnational administrative unit resolution. On VectorNet maps, there are relatively few areas where surveillance has been recorded but there are no distribution data. Comparison with other continental databases, namely the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and VectorBase show that VectorNet has 5-10 times as many records overall, although three species are better represented in the other databases. In addition, VectorNet maps show where species are absent. VectorNet's impact as assessed by citations (ca 60 per year) and web statistics (58,000 views) is substantial and its maps are widely used as reference material by professionals and the public.ConclusionVectorNet maps are the pre-eminent source of rigorously validated arthropod vector maps for Europe and its surrounding areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- G R William Wint
- Environmental Research Group Oxford Ltd, c/o Department of Biology, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Balenghien
- Unité Microbiologie, immunologie et maladies contagieuses, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco
- ASTRE, University of Montpellier, CIRAD, INRAE, Montpellier, France
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Eduardo Berriatua
- Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Marieta Braks
- Centre for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Cedric Marsboom
- Avia-GIS, Agro-Veterinary Information and Analysis, Zoersel, Belgium
| | - Jolyon Medlock
- Medical Entomology & Zoonoses Ecology, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, United Kingdom
| | | | - Wim Van Bortel
- Unit Entomology and the Outbreak Research Team, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Neil Alexander
- Environmental Research Group Oxford Ltd, c/o Department of Biology, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Bulent Alten
- Hacettepe University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Ecology Division, VERG Laboratories, Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | | | - Els Ducheyne
- Johnson and Johnson, Beerse, Belgium
- Avia-GIS, Agro-Veterinary Information and Analysis, Zoersel, Belgium
| | - Celine M Gossner
- Disease Programme Unit, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kayleigh Hansford
- Medical Entomology & Zoonoses Ecology, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, United Kingdom
| | - Guy Hendrickx
- Avia-GIS, Agro-Veterinary Information and Analysis, Zoersel, Belgium
| | - Hector Honrubia
- Public Health Functions Unit, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tom Matheussen
- Avia-GIS, Agro-Veterinary Information and Analysis, Zoersel, Belgium
| | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- Parasitology Consultancy Group, Corușu, Romania
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Dusan Petric
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
| | | | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Veerle Versteirt
- Agentschap voor Natuur en Bos, Havenlaan 88, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
- Avia-GIS, Agro-Veterinary Information and Analysis, Zoersel, Belgium
| | - Olivier Briet
- Disease Programme Unit, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden
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Defaye B, Moutailler S, Vollot B, Galon C, Gonzalez G, Moraes RA, Leoncini AS, Rataud A, Le Guillou G, Pasqualini V, Quilichini Y. Detection of Pathogens and Ticks on Sedentary and Migratory Birds in Two Corsican Wetlands (France, Mediterranean Area). Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11040869. [PMID: 37110292 PMCID: PMC10141976 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11040869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Birds are one of the most species-diverse vertebrate groups and are susceptible to numerous hematophagous ectoparasites. Migratory birds likely contribute to the circulation of these ectoparasites and their associated pathogens. One of the many migration paths crosses the Mediterranean islands including Corsica and its wetlands, which are migration stopovers. In our study, we collected blood samples and hematophagous ectoparasites in migratory and sedentary bird populations in two coastal lagoons: Biguglia and Gradugine. A total of 1377 birds were captured from which 762 blood samples, 37 louse flies, and 44 ticks were collected. All the louse flies were identified as Ornithomya biloba and all the ticks were from the Ixodes genus: Ixodes sp. (8.5%), I. accuminatus/ventalloi (2.9%), I. arboricola/lividus (14.3%), I. frontalis (5.7%) and I. ricinus (68.6%). Five pathogens were detected: Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Erhlichia chaffeensis, and Rickettsia helvetica in ticks, and Trypanosoma sp. in louse flies. Ehrlichia chaffeensis and the West Nile virus were both detected in bird blood samples in Corsica. This is the first report of these tick, louse fly and pathogen species isolated on the bird population in Corsica. Our finding highlights the importance of bird populations in the presence of arthropod-borne pathogens in Corsican wetlands.
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Bignon E, Dumont E, Monari A. Molecular Basis of the pH-Controlled Maturation of the Tick-Borne Encephalitis Flavivirus. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:1977-1982. [PMID: 36790164 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c03551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Flaviviruses are enveloped viruses causing high public concerns. Their maturation spans several cellular compartments having different pH. Thus, complex control mechanisms are in place to avoid premature maturation. Here we report the dynamical behavior at neutral and acidic pH of the precursor of the membrane fusion protein E of tick-borne encephalitis, showing the different stabilizations of the E dimer and the role played by the small fusion-assisting protomer (pr). The comprehension, at atomic resolution, of the fine regulation of viral maturation will be fundamental to the development of efficient strategies against emerging viral threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Bignon
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, UMR 7019 LPCT, F-5400, Nancy, France
| | - Elise Dumont
- Université Côte d'Azur, Institut de Chimie de Nice, UMR 7272, Parc Valrose, 28 avenue Valrose, F-06108, Nice, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, 5 rue Descartes, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Antonio Monari
- Université Paris Cité and CNRS, ITODYS, F-75006, Paris, France
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Santos PD, Günther A, Keller M, Homeier-Bachmann T, Groschup MH, Beer M, Höper D, Ziegler U. An advanced sequence clustering and designation workflow reveals the enzootic maintenance of a dominant West Nile virus subclade in Germany. Virus Evol 2023; 9:vead013. [PMID: 37197362 PMCID: PMC10184446 DOI: 10.1093/ve/vead013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is the most widespread arthropod-borne (arbo) virus and the primary cause of arboviral encephalitis globally. Members of WNV species genetically diverged and are classified into different hierarchical groups below species rank. However, the demarcation criteria for allocating WNV sequences into these groups remain individual and inconsistent, and the use of names for different levels of the hierarchical levels is unstructured. In order to have an objective and comprehensible grouping of WNV sequences, we developed an advanced grouping workflow using the 'affinity propagation clustering' algorithm and newly included the 'agglomerative hierarchical clustering' algorithm for the allocation of WNV sequences into different groups below species rank. In addition, we propose to use a fixed set of terms for the hierarchical naming of WNV below species level and a clear decimal numbering system to label the determined groups. For validation, we applied the refined workflow to WNV sequences that have been previously grouped into various lineages, clades, and clusters in other studies. Although our workflow regrouped some WNV sequences, overall, it generally corresponds with previous groupings. We employed our novel approach to the sequences from the WNV circulation in Germany 2020, primarily from WNV-infected birds and horses. Besides two newly defined minor (sub)clusters comprising only three sequences each, Subcluster 2.5.3.4.3c was the predominant WNV sequence group detected in Germany from 2018 to 2020. This predominant subcluster was also associated with at least five human WNV infections in 2019-20. In summary, our analyses imply that the genetic diversity of the WNV population in Germany is shaped by enzootic maintenance of the dominant WNV subcluster accompanied by sporadic incursions of other rare clusters and subclusters. Moreover, we show that our refined approach for sequence grouping yields meaningful results. Although we primarily aimed at a more detailed WNV classification, the presented workflow can also be applied to the objective genotyping of other virus species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Markus Keller
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | | | - Martin H Groschup
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research, Partner site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Martin Beer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Diagnostic Virology, 17493, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
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Re-Introduction of West Nile Virus Lineage 1 in Senegal from Europe and Subsequent Circulation in Human and Mosquito Populations between 2012 and 2021. Viruses 2022; 14:v14122720. [PMID: 36560724 PMCID: PMC9785585 DOI: 10.3390/v14122720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is a virus of the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex and belongs to the family Flaviviridae of the genus flavivirus. The virus can cause infection in humans which in most cases is asymptomatic, however symptomatic cases exist and the disease can be severe causing encephalitis and meningoencephalitis. The virus is maintained in an enzootic cycle involving mosquitoes and birds, humans and other mammals such as horses can be accidental hosts. A mosquito-based arbovirus surveillance system and the sentinel syndromic surveillance network (4S) have been in place since 1988 and 2015 respectively, to better understand the transmission dynamics of arboviruses including WNV in Senegal. Arthropod and human samples have been collected from the field and analysed at Institut Pasteur de Dakar using different methods including RT-PCR, ELISA, plaque reduction neutralization test and viral isolation. RT-PCR positive samples have been analysed by Next Generation Sequencing. From 2012 to 2021, 7912 samples have been analysed and WNV positive cases have been detected, 20 human cases (19 IgM and 1 RT-PCR positive cases) and 41 mosquito pools. Phylogenetic analyzes of the sequences of complete genomes obtained showed the circulation of lineage 1a, with all these recent strains from Senegal identical to each other and very close to strains isolated from horse in France in 2015, Italy and Spain. Our data showed lineage 1a endemicity in Senegal as previously described, with circulation of WNV in humans and mosquitoes. Phylogenetic analyzes carried out with the genome sequences obtained also revealed exchanges of WNV strains between Europe and Senegal which could be possible via migratory birds. The surveillance systems that have enabled the detection of WNV in humans and arthropods should be extended to animals in a one-health approach to better prepare for global health threats.
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Picard L, Mailles A, Fillâtre P, Tattevin P, Stahl JP. Encephalitis in travellers: A prospective multicentre study. J Travel Med 2022; 30:6869133. [PMID: 36461934 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taac145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As the epidemiology of encephalitis varies from one country to another, international travel may be an important clue for the diagnostic workout of this puzzling disease. METHODS We performed an ancillary study using the ENCEIF prospective cohort conducted in 62 clinical sites in France from 2016 to 2019. All cases of encephalitis in adults that fulfilled a case definition derived from the International Encephalitis Consortium were included. Travellers were defined as patients who spent at least one night in a foreign country within the last six months. RESULTS Of the 494 encephalitis patients enrolled, 69 (14%) were travellers. As compared to non-travellers, they were younger (median age, 48 years [interquartile range, 36-69] vs. 66 [49-76], P < 0.001), less likely to be immunocompromised: 2/69 (3%) vs 56/425 (13%), P = 0.02, and reported more arthralgia: 7/69 (10%) vs. 11/425 (3%), P = 0.007. The risk of poor outcome at hospital discharge (Glasgow outcome scale ≤ 3), was similar for travellers and for non-travellers after adjustment (aOR 0.80 [0.36-1.80], P = 0.594). Arboviruses were the main causes of encephalitis in travellers: 15/69 (22%) vs. 20/425 (5%) in non-travellers, P < 0.001, and Herpes simplex virus (HSV) was the second (9/69, 13%). Of note, in 19% (13/69) of cases, the risk of encephalitis in travellers may have been decreased with a vaccine. CONCLUSION The two primary causes of encephalitis in travellers are arboviruses, and HSV. Empirical treatment of encephalitis in travellers must include aciclovir. Pre-travel advice and vaccination may decrease the risk of encephalitis in travellers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Picard
- Université Rennes 1, Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Réanimation Médicale, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire, Rennes, France
| | - Alexandra Mailles
- Santé Publique France, Direction des Maladies Infectieuses, Saint-Maurice, France.,European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Infectious diseases of the Brain (ESGIB), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Fillâtre
- European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Infectious diseases of the Brain (ESGIB), Basel, Switzerland.,Service de Réanimation Polyvalente, Centre Hospitalier, Saint-Brieuc, France
| | - Pierre Tattevin
- Université Rennes 1, Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Réanimation Médicale, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire, Rennes, France.,European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Infectious diseases of the Brain (ESGIB), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Paul Stahl
- European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for Infectious diseases of the Brain (ESGIB), Basel, Switzerland.,Université Grenoble Alpes, Maladies Infectieuses, France
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Blom R, Schrama M, Spitzen J, Weller B, van der Linden A, Sikkema R, Koopmans M, Koenraadt C. Arbovirus persistence in North-Western Europe: Are mosquitoes the only overwintering pathway? One Health 2022; 16:100467. [DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2022.100467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
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Riccò M, Zaniboni A, Satta E, Ranzieri S, Cerviere MP, Marchesi F, Peruzzi S. West Nile Virus Infection: A Cross-Sectional Study on Italian Medical Professionals during Summer Season 2022. Trop Med Infect Dis 2022; 7:tropicalmed7120404. [PMID: 36548659 PMCID: PMC9786547 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed7120404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) has progressively endemized in large areas of continental Europe, and particularly in Northern Italy, in the Po River Valley. During summer season 2022, Italy experienced an unprecedented surge in incidence cases of WNV infections, including its main complications (West Nile fever (WNF) and West Nile neuroinvasive disease (WNND)). As knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of medical professionals may be instrumental in guaranteeing a prompt diagnosis and an accurate management of incident cases, we performed a cross-sectional study specifically on a sample of Italian medical professionals (1 August 2022-10 September 2022; around 8800 potential recipients). From a total of 332 questionnaires (response rate of 3.8%), 254 participating medical professionals were eventually included in the analyses. Knowledge status of participants was unsatisfying, as most of them exhibited knowledge gaps on the actual epidemiology of WNV, with similar uncertainties on the clinical features of WNF and WNND. Moreover, most of participants substantially overlooked WNV as a human pathogen when compared to SARS-CoV-2, TB, and even HIV. Interestingly, only 65.4% of respondents were either favorable or highly favorable towards a hypothetical WNV vaccine. Overall, acknowledging a higher risk perception on WNV was associated with individual factors such as reporting a seniority ≥ 10 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.39, 95% Confidence interval [95%CI] 1.34 to 4.28), reporting a better knowledge score (aOR 2.92, 95%CI 1.60 to 5.30), having previously managed cases of WNV infections (aOR 3.65, 95%CI 1.14 to 14.20), being favorable towards a hypothetic vaccine (aOR 2.16, 95%CI 1.15 to 4.04), and perceiving WNV infections as potentially affecting daily activities (aOR 2.57, 95%CI 1.22 to 5.42). In summary, substantial knowledge gaps and the erratic risk perception collectively enlighten the importance and the urgency for appropriate information campaigns among medical professionals, and particularly among frontline personnel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Riccò
- Occupational Health and Safety Service on the Workplace/Servizio di Prevenzione e Sicurezza Ambienti di Lavoro (SPSAL), Department of Public Health, AUSL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +39-339-2994343 or +39-522-837587
| | | | - Elia Satta
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Silvia Ranzieri
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | | | - Federico Marchesi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43126 Parma, Italy
| | - Simona Peruzzi
- Laboratorio Analisi Chimico Cliniche e Microbiologiche, Ospedale Civile di Guastalla, AUSL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, 42016 Guastalla, Italy
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Wang L, Soto A, Remue L, Rosales Rosas AL, De Coninck L, Verwimp S, Bouckaert J, Vanwinkel M, Matthijnssens J, Delang L. First Report of Mutations Associated With Pyrethroid (L1014F) and Organophosphate (G119S) Resistance in Belgian Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:2072-2079. [PMID: 36130161 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of West Nile virus and Usutu virus in Europe poses a significant risk to public health. In the absence of efficient antiviral therapy or vaccine candidates, the only strategy to control these arboviruses is to target the Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquito vector. However, the selection pressure caused by exposure to insecticides for vector control or agricultural pest control can lead to insecticide resistance, thereby reducing the efficacy of insecticide-based vector control interventions. In Culex mosquitoes, two of the most common amino acid substitutions associated with insecticide resistance are the kdr L1014F in voltage gated sodium channels and G119S in acetylcholinesterase. In this study, Culex pipiens biotype pipiens, Culex torrentium, and Culex modestus were sampled from 2019 to 2021 in three distinct environmental habitats (urban, peri-urban, and agricultural) in and around the city of Leuven, Belgium. Individual mosquitoes were screened for two mutations resulting in L1014F and G119S amino acid substitutions. Both mutations were observed in Cx. pipiens and Cx. modestus but not in Cx. torrentium mosquitoes across the four collection sites. Furthermore, multi-resistance or cross-resistance in Cx. pipiens could be a threat in these areas, as both mutations were observed at low frequencies. These results provide the first report of kdr L1014F and ace-1 G119S resistance mutations in Cx. pipiens and Cx. modestus mosquitoes from Belgium, highlighting the importance of mosquito surveillance to design effective arbovirus outbreak control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanjiao Wang
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alina Soto
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Laure Remue
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ana Lucia Rosales Rosas
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lander De Coninck
- Laboratory of Viral Metagenomics, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sam Verwimp
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johanna Bouckaert
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mathias Vanwinkel
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jelle Matthijnssens
- Laboratory of Viral Metagenomics, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Leen Delang
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
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Using Rapid Analyte Measurement Platform (RAMP) as a Tool for an Early Warning System Assessing West Nile Virus Epidemiological Risk in Bucharest, Romania. Trop Med Infect Dis 2022; 7:tropicalmed7110327. [DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed7110327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is the most widely spread arbovirus in the world. Early detection of this virus in mosquito populations is essential for implementing rapid vector control measures to prevent outbreaks. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR) is a powerful tool for the detection of WNV in mosquito pools, but it is a time- and resource-consuming assay. We used a Rapid Analyte Measurement Platform (RAMP) assay in a vector surveillance program for rapid detection of WNV in mosquitoes collected in Bucharest city, Romania, in 2021. The positive mosquito pools were tested for confirmation with real-time RT-PCR. Three out of the 24 RAMP assay positive pools were not confirmed by real-time RT-PCR. We consider that RAMP assay can be used as a fast and reliable method for the screening of WNV presence in mosquito pools, but we recommend that samples with values ranging from 30 to 100 RAMP units should fall in a grey zone and should be considered for real-time RT-PCR confirmation.
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36
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Passive epidemiological surveillance in wildlife in Costa Rica identifies pathogens of zoonotic and conservation importance. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262063. [PMID: 36155648 PMCID: PMC9512195 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological surveillance systems for pathogens in wild species have been proposed as a preventive measure for epidemic events. These systems can minimize the detrimental effects of an outbreak, but most importantly, passive surveillance systems are the best adapted to countries with limited resources. Therefore, this research aimed to evaluate the technical and infrastructural feasibility of establishing this type of scheme in Costa Rica by implementing a pilot program targeting the detection of pathogens of zoonotic and conservation importance in wildlife. Between 2018 and 2020, 85 carcasses of free-ranging vertebrates were admitted for post-mortem and microbiology analysis. However, we encountered obstacles mainly related to the initial identification of cases and limited local logistics capacity. Nevertheless, this epidemiological surveillance scheme allowed us to estimate the general state of health of the country’s wildlife by establishing the causes of death according to pathological findings. For instance, 60% (51/85) of the deaths were not directly associated with an infectious agent. Though in 37.6% (32/85) of these cases an infectious agent associated or not with disease was detected. In 27.1% (23/85) of the cases, death was directly related to infectious agents. Furthermore, 12.9% (11/85), the cause of death was not determined. Likewise, this wildlife health monitoring program allowed the detection of relevant pathogens such as Canine Distemper Virus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Angiostrongylus spp., Baylisascaris spp., among others. Our research demonstrated that this passive surveillance scheme is cost-effective and feasible in countries with limited resources. This passive surveillance can be adapted to the infrastructure dedicated to monitoring diseases in productive animals according to the scope and objectives of monitoring wildlife specific to each region. The information generated from the experience of the initial establishment of a WHMP is critical to meeting the challenges involved in developing this type of scheme in regions with limited resources and established as hotspots for emerging infectious diseases.
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Torres TZB, Prince BC, Robison A, Rückert C. Optimized In Vitro CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing Tool in the West Nile Virus Mosquito Vector, Culex quinquefasciatus. INSECTS 2022; 13:856. [PMID: 36135557 PMCID: PMC9502113 DOI: 10.3390/insects13090856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes are a globally widespread vector of multiple human and animal pathogens, including West Nile virus, Saint Louis encephalitis virus, and lymphatic filariasis. Since the introduction of West Nile virus to the United States in 1999, a cumulative 52,532 cases have been reported to the CDC, including 25,849 (49.2%) neuroinvasive cases and 2456 (5%) deaths. Viral infections elicit immune responses in their mosquito vectors, including the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway considered to be the cornerstone antiviral response in insects. To investigate mosquito host genes involved in pathogen interactions, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene-editing can be used for functional studies of mosquito-derived cell lines. Yet, the tools available for the study of Cx. quinquefasciatus-derived (Hsu) cell lines remain largely underdeveloped compared to other mosquito species. In this study, we constructed and characterized a Culex-optimized CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid for use in Hsu cell cultures. By comparing it to the original Drosophila melanogaster CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid, we showed that the Culex-optimized plasmid demonstrated highly efficient editing of the genomic loci of the RNAi proteins Dicer-2 and PIWI4 in Hsu cells. These new tools support our ability to investigate gene targets involved in mosquito antiviral response, and thus the future development of gene-based vector control strategies.
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Wood MJ, Alkhaibari AM, Butt TM. Stress-Mediated Responses of Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Larvae When Exposed to Metarhizium brunneum (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) and Toxorhynchites brevipalpis (Diptera: Culicidae). JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2022; 59:1732-1740. [PMID: 35938709 PMCID: PMC9473657 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjac110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are capable of vectoring a wide range of diseases including dengue, yellow fever, and Zika viruses, with approximately half of the worlds' population at risk from such diseases. Development of combined predator-parasite treatments for the control of larvae consistently demonstrates increased efficacy over single-agent treatments, however, the mechanism behind the interaction remains unknown. Treatments using the natural predator Toxorhynchites brevipalpis and the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium brunneum were applied in the laboratory against Ae. aegypti larvae as both individual and combined treatments to determine the levels of interaction between control strategies. Parallel experiments involved the removal of larvae from test arenas at set intervals during the course of the trial to record whole body caspase and phenoloxidase activities. This was measured via luminometric assay to measure larval stress factors underlying the interactions. Combined Metarhizium and Toxorhynchites treatments were seen to drastically reduce lethal times as compared to individual treatments. This was accompanied by increased phenoloxidase and caspase activities in combination treatments after 18 h (p < 0.001). The sharp increases in caspase and phenoloxidase activities suggest that combined treatments act to increase stress factor responses in the larvae that result in rapid mortality above that of either control agent individually. This work concludes that the underlying mechanism for increased lethality in combined parasite-predator treatments may be related to additive stress factors induced within the target host larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tariq M Butt
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
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Di Pol G, Crotta M, Taylor RA. Modelling the temperature suitability for the risk of West Nile Virus establishment in European Culex pipiens populations. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022; 69:e1787-e1799. [PMID: 35304820 PMCID: PMC9790397 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Increases in temperature and extreme weather events due to global warming can create an environment that is beneficial to mosquito populations, changing and possibly increasing the suitable geographical range for many vector-borne diseases. West Nile Virus (WNV) is a flavivirus, maintained in a mosquito-avian host cycle that is usually asymptomatic but can cause primarily flu-like symptoms in human and equid accidental hosts. In rare circumstances, serious disease and death are possible outcomes for both humans and horses. The main European vector of WNV is the Culex pipiens mosquito. This study examines the effect of environmental temperature on WNV establishment in Europe via Culex pipiens populations through use of a basic reproduction number ( R 0 ${R_0}$ ) model. A metric of thermal suitability derived from R 0 ${R_0}$ was developed by collating thermal responses of different Culex pipiens traits and combining them through use of a next-generation matrix. WNV establishment was determined to be possible between 14°C and 34.3°C, with the optimal temperature at 23.7°C. The suitability measure was plotted against monthly average temperatures in 2020 and the number of months with high suitability mapped across Europe. The average number of suitable months for each year from 2013 to 2019 was also calculated and validated with reported equine West Nile fever cases from 2013 to 2019. The widespread thermal suitability for WNV establishment highlights the importance of European surveillance for this disease and the need for increased research into mosquito and bird distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Di Pol
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health GroupDepartment of Pathobiology and Population SciencesRoyal Veterinary CollegeLondonUK
| | - Matteo Crotta
- Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health GroupDepartment of Pathobiology and Population SciencesRoyal Veterinary CollegeLondonUK
| | - Rachel A. Taylor
- Department of Epidemiological SciencesAnimal and Plant Health AgencySurreyUK
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40
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Lee WL, Gu X, Armas F, Leifels M, Wu F, Chandra F, Chua FJD, Syenina A, Chen H, Cheng D, Ooi EE, Wuertz S, Alm EJ, Thompson J. Monitoring human arboviral diseases through wastewater surveillance: Challenges, progress and future opportunities. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 223:118904. [PMID: 36007397 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Arboviral diseases are caused by a group of viruses spread by the bite of infected arthropods. Amongst these, dengue, Zika, west nile fever and yellow fever cause the greatest economic and social impact. Arboviral epidemics have increased in frequency, magnitude and geographical extent over the past decades and are expected to continue increasing with climate change and expanding urbanisation. Arboviral prevalence is largely underestimated, as most infections are asymptomatic, nevertheless existing surveillance systems are based on passive reporting of loosely defined clinical syndromes with infrequent laboratory confirmation. Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS), which has been demonstrated to be useful for monitoring diseases with significant asymptomatic populations including COVID19 and polio, could be a useful complement to arboviral surveillance. We review the current state of knowledge and identify key factors that affect the feasibility of monitoring arboviral diseases by WBS to include viral shedding loads by infected persons, the persistence of shed arboviruses and the efficiency of their recovery from sewage. We provide a simple model on the volume of wastewater that needs to be processed for detection of arboviruses, in face of lower arboviral shedding rates. In all, this review serves to reflect on the key challenges that need to be addressed and overcome for successful implementation of arboviral WBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Lin Lee
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore 138602, Singapore; Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore 138602, Singapore
| | - Xiaoqiong Gu
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore 138602, Singapore; Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore 138602, Singapore
| | - Federica Armas
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore 138602, Singapore; Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore 138602, Singapore
| | - Mats Leifels
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Fuqing Wu
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, Center for Infectious Disease, University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Franciscus Chandra
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore 138602, Singapore; Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore 138602, Singapore
| | - Feng Jun Desmond Chua
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Ayesa Syenina
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore; Viral Research and Experimental Medicine Centre (ViREMiCS), SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore 169856, Singapore
| | - Hongjie Chen
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore 138602, Singapore; Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore 138602, Singapore
| | - Dan Cheng
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Eng Eong Ooi
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore 138602, Singapore; Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore 138602, Singapore; Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore; Viral Research and Experimental Medicine Centre (ViREMiCS), SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre, Singapore 169856, Singapore; Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore
| | - Stefan Wuertz
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Eric J Alm
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore 138602, Singapore; Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore 138602, Singapore; Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA 02139, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Janelle Thompson
- Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE), Singapore 138602, Singapore; Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore; Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637459, Singapore.
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Frank C, Schmidt-Chanasit J, Ziegler U, Lachmann R, Preußel K, Offergeld R. West Nile Virus in Germany: An Emerging Infection and Its Relevance for Transfusion Safety. Transfus Med Hemother 2022; 49:192-204. [PMID: 36159956 PMCID: PMC9421668 DOI: 10.1159/000525167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus). It circulates in an enzootic cycle between ornithophilic mosquitoes as vectors and reservoirs and avian host species for amplification, but humans can be infected as accidental hosts. In most individuals, WNV infection remains silent, while 20% develop mild symptoms of West Nile fever, and only 1% develop neuroinvasive disease (WNND). Human WNV cases have been identified in Southern and Eastern Europe for more than 20 years, but until 2018, Germany was considered to be a non-endemic country. This changed when in the exceptionally warm summer of 2018, conditions for viral replication in mosquitoes were ideal, and the first WNV cases among birds and horses were identified. The widespread domestic Culex mosquitoes are efficient vectors for WNV. Autochthonous mosquito-borne WNV infections in humans were reported in all following years, indicating a continuous circulation in the affected areas of Central-East Germany. So far, no clear expansion of the affected areas is discernible but may develop. WNV is a transfusion-transmissible-infection, and donor deferral or testing of donations after a stay in an affected area are effective means to ensure transfusion safety. WNV transmissions via blood products often result in WNND due to the predisposing underlying medical conditions of transfusion recipients. From 2020 onwards, roughly 80% of all blood establishments in Germany tested their donations for WNV using nucleic acid amplification techniques in the transmission season. Altogether, 19 confirmed WNV infections were identified from 2020-2021. As long as effective and affordable pathogen reduction is not available for all blood components, WNV testing or donor deferral will be essential. In order to timely identify affected areas, combined results of human and veterinary surveillance are needed. Partnerships between public health experts, transfusion medicine specialists, veterinarians, and entomologists should be strengthened to ensure a One Health approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Frank
- Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ute Ziegler
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Raskit Lachmann
- Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Karina Preußel
- Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ruth Offergeld
- Department for Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
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Mencattelli G, Iapaolo F, Polci A, Marcacci M, Di Gennaro A, Teodori L, Curini V, Di Lollo V, Secondini B, Scialabba S, Gobbi M, Manuali E, Cammà C, Rosà R, Rizzoli A, Monaco F, Savini G. West Nile Virus Lineage 2 Overwintering in Italy. Trop Med Infect Dis 2022; 7:160. [PMID: 36006252 PMCID: PMC9414329 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed7080160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In January 2022, West Nile virus (WNV) lineage 2 (L2) was detected in an adult female goshawk rescued near Perugia in the region of Umbria (Italy). The animal showed neurological symptoms and died 15 days after its recovery in a wildlife rescue center. This was the second case of WNV infection recorded in birds in the Umbria region during the cold season, when mosquitoes, the main WNV vectors, are usually not active. According to the National Surveillance Plan, the Umbria region is included amongst the WNV low-risk areas. The necropsy evidenced generalized pallor of the mucous membranes, mild splenomegaly, and cerebral edema. WNV L2 was detected in the brain, heart, kidney, and spleen homogenate using specific RT-PCR. Subsequently, the extracted viral RNA was sequenced. A Bayesian phylogenetic analysis performed through a maximum-likelihood tree showed that the genome sequence clustered with the Italian strains within the European WNV strains among the central-southern European WNV L2 clade. These results, on the one hand, confirmed that the WNV L2 strains circulating in Italy are genetically stable and, on the other hand, evidenced a continuous WNV circulation in Italy throughout the year. In this report case, a bird-to-bird WNV transmission was suggested to support the virus overwintering. The potential transmission through the oral route in a predatory bird may explain the relatively rapid spread of WNV, as well as other flaviviruses characterized by similar transmission patterns. However, rodent-to-bird transmission or mosquito-to-bird transmission cannot be excluded, and further research is needed to better understand WNV transmission routes during the winter season in Italy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Mencattelli
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (F.I.); (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.D.G.); (L.T.); (V.C.); (V.D.L.); (B.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.); (F.M.); (G.S.)
- Center Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, 38098 Trento, Italy;
- Fondazione Edmund Mach, Research and Innovation Centre, San Michele all’Adige, 38098 Trento, Italy;
| | - Federica Iapaolo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (F.I.); (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.D.G.); (L.T.); (V.C.); (V.D.L.); (B.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.); (F.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Andrea Polci
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (F.I.); (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.D.G.); (L.T.); (V.C.); (V.D.L.); (B.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.); (F.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Maurilia Marcacci
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (F.I.); (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.D.G.); (L.T.); (V.C.); (V.D.L.); (B.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.); (F.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Annapia Di Gennaro
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (F.I.); (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.D.G.); (L.T.); (V.C.); (V.D.L.); (B.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.); (F.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Liana Teodori
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (F.I.); (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.D.G.); (L.T.); (V.C.); (V.D.L.); (B.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.); (F.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Valentina Curini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (F.I.); (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.D.G.); (L.T.); (V.C.); (V.D.L.); (B.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.); (F.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Valeria Di Lollo
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (F.I.); (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.D.G.); (L.T.); (V.C.); (V.D.L.); (B.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.); (F.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Barbara Secondini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (F.I.); (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.D.G.); (L.T.); (V.C.); (V.D.L.); (B.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.); (F.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Silvia Scialabba
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (F.I.); (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.D.G.); (L.T.); (V.C.); (V.D.L.); (B.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.); (F.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Marco Gobbi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati”, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (M.G.); (E.M.)
| | - Elisabetta Manuali
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche “Togo Rosati”, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (M.G.); (E.M.)
| | - Cesare Cammà
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (F.I.); (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.D.G.); (L.T.); (V.C.); (V.D.L.); (B.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.); (F.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Roberto Rosà
- Center Agriculture Food Environment, University of Trento, 38098 Trento, Italy;
| | - Annapaola Rizzoli
- Fondazione Edmund Mach, Research and Innovation Centre, San Michele all’Adige, 38098 Trento, Italy;
| | - Federica Monaco
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (F.I.); (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.D.G.); (L.T.); (V.C.); (V.D.L.); (B.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.); (F.M.); (G.S.)
| | - Giovanni Savini
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise, 64100 Teramo, Italy; (F.I.); (A.P.); (M.M.); (A.D.G.); (L.T.); (V.C.); (V.D.L.); (B.S.); (S.S.); (C.C.); (F.M.); (G.S.)
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Bignon E, Marazzi M, Miclot T, Barone G, Monari A. Specific Recognition of the 5'-Untranslated Region of West Nile Virus Genome by Human Innate Immune System. Viruses 2022; 14:v14061282. [PMID: 35746753 PMCID: PMC9227302 DOI: 10.3390/v14061282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last few years, the sudden outbreak of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 proved the crucial importance of understanding how emerging viruses work and proliferate, in order to avoid the repetition of such a dramatic sanitary situation with unprecedented social and economic costs. West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne pathogen that can spread to humans and induce severe neurological problems. This RNA virus caused recent remarkable outbreaks, notably in Europe, highlighting the need to investigate the molecular mechanisms of its infection process in order to design and propose efficient antivirals. Here, we resort to all-atom Molecular Dynamics simulations to characterize the structure of the 5′-untranslated region of the West Nile Virus genome and its specific recognition by the human innate immune system via oligoadenylate synthetase. Our simulations allowed us to map the interaction network between the viral RNA and the host protein, which drives its specific recognition and triggers the host immune response. These results may provide fundamental knowledge that can assist further antivirals’ design, including therapeutic RNA strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Bignon
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LPCT UMR 7019, F-54000 Nancy, France;
- Correspondence: (E.B.); (A.M.)
| | - Marco Marazzi
- Grupo de Reactividad y Estructura Molecular (RESMOL), Departamento de Química Analítica, Química Física e Ingeniería Química, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, 28805 Madrid, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación Química “Andrés M. del Río” (IQAR), Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, 28805 Madrid, Spain
| | - Tom Miclot
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LPCT UMR 7019, F-54000 Nancy, France;
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Palermo, viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Giampaolo Barone
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Palermo, viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Antonio Monari
- Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LPCT UMR 7019, F-54000 Nancy, France;
- ITODYS, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, F-75006 Paris, France
- Correspondence: (E.B.); (A.M.)
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Assessment of the Costs Related to West Nile Virus Monitoring in Lombardy Region (Italy) between 2014 and 2018. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19095541. [PMID: 35564939 PMCID: PMC9101130 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
In Italy, the West Nile Virus surveillance plan considers a multidisciplinary approach to identify the presence of the virus in the environment (entomological, ornithological, and equine surveillance) and to determine the risk of infections through potentially infected donors (blood and organ donors). The costs associated with the surveillance program for the Lombardy Region between 2014 and 2018 were estimated. The costs of the program were compared with a scenario in which the program was not implemented, requiring individual blood donation nucleic acid amplification tests (NAT) to detect the presence of WNV in human samples throughout the seasonal period of vector presence. Considering the five-year period, the application of the environmental/veterinary surveillance program allowed a reduction in costs incurred in the Lombardy Region of 7.7 million EUR. An integrated surveillance system, including birds, mosquito vectors, and dead-end hosts such as horses and humans, can prevent viral transmission to the human population, as well as anticipate the detection of WNV using NAT in blood and organ donors. The surveillance program within a One Health context has given the possibility to both document the expansion of the endemic area of WNV in northern Italy and avoid most of the NAT-related costs.
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45
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Virus Infection in Equine. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12080957. [PMID: 35454204 PMCID: PMC9030645 DOI: 10.3390/ani12080957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
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Circulation of zoonotic flaviviruses in wild passerine birds in Western Spain. Vet Microbiol 2022; 268:109399. [PMID: 35344925 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2022.109399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We explore the presence of zoonotic flaviviruses (West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV)) neutralizing antibodies in rarely studied passerine bird species. We report, for the first time in Europe, WNV-specific antibodies in red avadavat and cetti's warbler, and USUV in yellow-crowned bishop. The evidence of WNV and USUV circulating in resident and migratory species has implications for both animal and public health. Future outbreaks in avian reservoir hosts may occur and passerines should be considered as priority target species in flavivirus surveillance programmes.
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47
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West Nile and Usutu Virus Introduction via Migratory Birds: A Retrospective Analysis in Italy. Viruses 2022; 14:v14020416. [PMID: 35216009 PMCID: PMC8880244 DOI: 10.3390/v14020416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The actual contribution of migratory birds in spreading West Nile (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) across Europe and from Africa to old countries is still controversial. In this study, we reported the results of molecular and serological surveys on migrating birds sampled during peaks of spring and autumn migration at 11 Italian sites located along important flyways, from 2012 to 2014. A total of 1335 specimens made of individual or pooled sera, and organs from 275 dead birds were tested for WNV and USUV RNA by real time PCR (RT-PCR). Furthermore, sera were tested by serum neutralization assay for detecting WNV and USUV neutralizing antibodies. Molecular tests detected WNV lineage 2 RNA in a pool made of three Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) sera sampled in autumn, and lineage 1 in kidneys of six trans-Saharan birds sampled in spring. Neutralizing antibodies against WNV and USUV were found in 5.80% (n = 72; 17 bird species) and 0.32% (n = 4; 4 bird species) of the tested sera, respectively. Our results do not exclude the role of migratory birds as potential spreaders of WNV and USUV from Africa and Central Europe to Mediterranean areas and highlight the importance of a more extensive active surveillance of zoonotic viruses.
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Lücke AC, vom Hemdt A, Wieseler J, Fischer C, Feldmann M, Rothenfusser S, Drexler JF, Kümmerer BM. High-Throughput Platform for Detection of Neutralizing Antibodies Using Flavivirus Reporter Replicon Particles. Viruses 2022; 14:v14020346. [PMID: 35215941 PMCID: PMC8880525 DOI: 10.3390/v14020346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Flavivirus outbreaks require fast and reliable diagnostics that can be easily adapted to newly emerging and re-emerging flaviviruses. Due to the serological cross-reactivity among flavivirus antibodies, neutralization tests (NT) are considered the gold standard for sero-diagnostics. Here, we first established wild-type single-round infectious virus replicon particles (VRPs) by packaging a yellow fever virus (YFV) replicon expressing Gaussia luciferase (Gluc) with YFV structural proteins in trans using a double subgenomic Sindbis virus (SINV) replicon. The latter expressed the YFV envelope proteins prME via the first SINV subgenomic promoter and the capsid protein via a second subgenomic SINV promoter. VRPs were produced upon co-electroporation of replicon and packaging RNA. Introduction of single restriction enzyme sites in the packaging construct flanking the prME sequence easily allowed to exchange the prME moiety resulting in chimeric VRPs that have the surface proteins of other flaviviruses including dengue virus 1-4, Zika virus, West Nile virus, and tick-borne encephalitis virus. Besides comparing the YF-VRP based NT assay to a YF reporter virus NT assay, we analyzed the neutralization efficiencies of different human anti-flavivirus sera or a monoclonal antibody against all established VRPs. The assays were performed in a 96-well high-throughput format setting with Gluc as readout in comparison to classical plaque reduction NTs indicating that the VRP-based NT assays are suitable for high-throughput analyses of neutralizing flavivirus antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arlen-Celina Lücke
- Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (A.-C.L.); (A.v.H.); (J.W.); (M.F.)
| | - Anja vom Hemdt
- Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (A.-C.L.); (A.v.H.); (J.W.); (M.F.)
| | - Janett Wieseler
- Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (A.-C.L.); (A.v.H.); (J.W.); (M.F.)
| | - Carlo Fischer
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universtät Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany; (C.F.); (J.F.D.)
| | - Marie Feldmann
- Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (A.-C.L.); (A.v.H.); (J.W.); (M.F.)
| | - Simon Rothenfusser
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80337 Munich, Germany;
- Unit Clinical Pharmacology (EKliP), Helmholtz Center for Environmental Health, 80337 Munich, Germany
| | - Jan Felix Drexler
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universtät Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany; (C.F.); (J.F.D.)
- Martinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector-Borne Diseases, Sechenov University, 119435 Moskow, Russia
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Associated Partner Site Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Beate Mareike Kümmerer
- Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (A.-C.L.); (A.v.H.); (J.W.); (M.F.)
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Associated Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 53127 Bonn, Germany
- Correspondence:
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Fotakis EA, Mavridis K, Kampouraki A, Balaska S, Tanti F, Vlachos G, Gewehr S, Mourelatos S, Papadakis A, Kavalou M, Nikolakakis D, Moisaki M, Kampanis N, Loumpounis M, Vontas J. Mosquito population structure, pathogen surveillance and insecticide resistance monitoring in urban regions of Crete, Greece. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010186. [PMID: 35176020 PMCID: PMC8890720 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Greece vector borne diseases (VBD) and foremost West Nile virus (WNV) pose an important threat to public health and the tourist industry, the primary sector of contribution to the national economy. The island of Crete, is one of Greece's major tourist destinations receiving annually over 5 million tourists making regional VBD control both a public health and economic priority. METHODOLOGY Under the auspices of the Region of Crete, a systematic integrative surveillance network targeting mosquitoes and associated pathogens was established in Crete for the years 2018-2020. Using conventional and molecular diagnostic tools we investigated the mosquito species composition and population dynamics, pathogen infection occurrences in vector populations and in sentinel chickens, and the insecticide resistance status of the major vector species. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Important disease vectors were recorded across the island including Culex pipiens, Aedes albopictus, and Anopheles superpictus. Over 75% of the sampled specimens were collected in the western prefectures potentially attributed to the local precipitation patterns, with Cx. pipiens being the most dominant species. Although no pathogens (flaviviruses) were detected in the analysed mosquito specimens, chicken blood serum analyses recorded a 1.7% WNV antibody detection rate in the 2018 samples. Notably detection of the first WNV positive chicken preceded human WNV occurrence in the same region by approximately two weeks. The chitin synthase mutation I1043F (associated with high diflubenzuron resistance) was recorded at an 8% allelic frequency in Lasithi prefecture Cx. pipiens mosquitoes (sampled in 2020) for the first time in Greece. Markedly, Cx. pipiens populations in all four prefectures were found harboring the kdr mutations L1014F/C/S (associated with pyrethroid resistance) at a close to fixation rate, with mutation L1014C being the most commonly found allele (≥74% representation). Voltage gated sodium channel analyses in Ae. albopictus revealed the presence of the kdr mutations F1534C and I1532T (associated with putative mild pyrethroid resistance phenotypes) yet absence of V1016G. Allele F1534C was recorded in all prefectures (at an allelic frequency range of 25-46.6%) while I1532T was detected in populations from Chania, Rethymnon and Heraklion (at frequencies below 7.1%). Finally, no kdr mutations were detected in the Anopheles specimens included in the analyses. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE The findings of our study are of major concern for VBD control in Crete, highlighting (i) the necessity for establishing seasonal integrated entomological/pathogen surveillance programs, supporting the design of targeted vector control responses and; ii) the need for establishing appropriate insecticide resistance management programs ensuring the efficacy and sustainable use of DFB and pyrethroid based products in vector control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouil A. Fotakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Mavridis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Anastasia Kampouraki
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
- Department of Crop Science, Pesticide Science Laboratory, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Sofia Balaska
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
- Department Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Filianna Tanti
- Department of Crop Science, Pesticide Science Laboratory, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - George Vlachos
- EcoDevelopment SA-Integrated Mosquito Control, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Sandra Gewehr
- EcoDevelopment SA-Integrated Mosquito Control, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Antonios Papadakis
- General Directorate of Public Health & Social Care of Region of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Maria Kavalou
- General Directorate of Public Health & Social Care of Region of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Nikolakakis
- General Directorate of Public Health & Social Care of Region of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Maria Moisaki
- General Directorate of Public Health & Social Care of Region of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Kampanis
- General Directorate of Public Health & Social Care of Region of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Manolis Loumpounis
- General Directorate of Public Health & Social Care of Region of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - John Vontas
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
- Department of Crop Science, Pesticide Science Laboratory, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Seroepidemiological Survey of West Nile Virus Infections in Horses from Berlin/Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Viruses 2022; 14:v14020243. [PMID: 35215837 PMCID: PMC8877243 DOI: 10.3390/v14020243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Following the introduction of the West Nile virus (WNV) into eastern Germany in 2018, increasing infections have been diagnosed in birds, equines, and humans over time, while the spread of WNV into western Germany remained unclear. We screened 437 equine sera from 2018 to 2020, excluding vaccinated horses, collected from convenience sampled patients in the eastern and western parts of Germany, for WNV-specific antibodies (ELISAs followed by virus/specific neutralization tests) and genomes (RT-qPCRs). Clinical presentations, final diagnoses, and demographic data were also recorded. In the eastern part, a total of eight horses were found WNV seropositive in 2019 (seroprevalence of 8.16%) and 27 in 2020 (13.77%). There were also two clinically unsuspected horses with WNV-specific antibodies in the western part from 2020 (2.63%), albeit travel history-related infections could not be excluded. None of the horse sera contained WNV-specific genomes. Eight horses in eastern Germany carried WNV-IgM antibodies, but only four of these showed typical clinical signs. These results underline the difficulty of detecting a WNV infection in a horse solely based on clinical signs. Thus, WNV circulation is established in the horse population in eastern Germany, but not yet in the western part.
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