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Mathews-Martin L, Gonzalez G, Dheilly NM, Amaral-Moraes R, Dumarest M, Helle T, Migne C, Caillot C, Lacour SA, Pérelle S, Beck C, Metras R, Bournez L. Exposure of cattle to tick-borne encephalitis virus in the historical endemic zone in north-eastern France. BMC Vet Res 2024; 20:228. [PMID: 38796429 PMCID: PMC11127440 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-04079-8] [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: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a severe human neuroinfection caused by TBE virus (TBEV). TBEV is transmitted by tick bites and by the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products from infected asymptomatic ruminants. In France, several food-borne transmission events have been reported since 2020, raising the question of the level of exposure of domestic ungulates to TBEV. In this study, our objectives were (i) to estimate TBEV seroprevalence and quantify antibodies titres in cattle in the historical endemic area of TBEV in France using the micro virus neutralisation test (MNT) and (ii) to compare the performance of two veterinary cELISA kits with MNT for detecting anti-TBEV antibodies in cattle in various epidemiological contexts. A total of 344 cattle sera from four grid cells of 100 km² in Alsace-Lorraine (endemic region) and 84 from western France, assumed to be TBEV-free, were investigated. RESULTS In Alsace-Lorraine, cattle were exposed to the virus with an overall estimated seroprevalence of 57.6% (95% CI: 52.1-62.8%, n = 344), varying locally from 29.9% (95% CI: 21.0-40.0%) to 92.1% (95% CI: 84.5-96.8%). Seroprevalence did not increase with age, with one- to three-year-old cattle being as highly exposed as older ones, suggesting a short-life duration of antibodies. The proportion of sera with MNT titres lower than 1:40 per grid cell decreased with increased seroprevalence. Both cELISA kits showed high specificity (> 90%) and low sensitivity (less than 78.1%) compared with MNT. Sensitivity was lower for sera with neutralising antibodies titres below 1:40, suggesting that sensitivity of these tests varied with local virus circulation intensity. CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight that cattle were highly exposed to TBEV. Screening strategy and serological tests should be carefully chosen according to the purpose of the serological study and with regard to the limitations of each method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Mathews-Martin
- ANSES, Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Widlife, Malzéville, F-54220, France.
- VetAgro Sup, ENSV-FVI, Marcy-L'Étoile, F-69280, France.
- ANSES, INRAE, ENVA, UMR Virology, ANSES Animal Health Laboratory, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France.
- ANSES, Laboratory for Food Safety, UVE, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France.
| | - Gaëlle Gonzalez
- ANSES, INRAE, ENVA, UMR Virology, ANSES Animal Health Laboratory, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
| | - Nolwenn M Dheilly
- ANSES, INRAE, ENVA, UMR Virology, ANSES Animal Health Laboratory, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
| | - Rayane Amaral-Moraes
- ANSES, INRAE, ENVA, UMR Virology, ANSES Animal Health Laboratory, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
| | - Marine Dumarest
- ANSES, INRAE, ENVA, UMR Virology, ANSES Animal Health Laboratory, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
| | - Teheipuaura Helle
- ANSES, INRAE, ENVA, UMR Virology, ANSES Animal Health Laboratory, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
| | - Camille Migne
- ANSES, INRAE, ENVA, UMR Virology, ANSES Animal Health Laboratory, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
| | - Christophe Caillot
- ANSES, Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Widlife, Malzéville, F-54220, France
| | - Sandrine A Lacour
- ANSES, INRAE, ENVA, UMR Virology, ANSES Animal Health Laboratory, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
| | - Sylvie Pérelle
- ANSES, Laboratory for Food Safety, UVE, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
| | - Cécile Beck
- ANSES, INRAE, ENVA, UMR Virology, ANSES Animal Health Laboratory, Maisons-Alfort, F-94700, France
| | - Raphaëlle Metras
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Pierre Louis Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health (IPLESP, UMRS, 1136), Paris, F-75012, France
| | - Laure Bournez
- ANSES, Nancy Laboratory for Rabies and Widlife, Malzéville, F-54220, France.
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2
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Girl P, Euringer K, Coroian M, Mihalca AD, Borde JP, Dobler G. Comparison of Five Serological Methods for the Detection of West Nile Virus Antibodies. Viruses 2024; 16:788. [PMID: 38793670 PMCID: PMC11126072 DOI: 10.3390/v16050788] [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: 04/06/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The West Nile Virus (WNV), a member of the family Flaviviridae, is an emerging mosquito-borne flavivirus causing potentially severe infections in humans and animals involving the central nervous system (CNS). Due to its emerging tendency, WNV now occurs in many areas where other flaviviruses are co-occurring. Cross-reactive antibodies with flavivirus infections or vaccination (e.g., tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Usutu virus (USUV), yellow fever virus (YFV), dengue virus (DENV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV)) therefore remain a major challenge in diagnosing flavivirus infections. Virus neutralization tests are considered as reference tests for the detection of specific flavivirus antibodies, but are elaborate, time-consuming and need biosafety level 3 facilities. A simple and straightforward assay for the differentiation and detection of specific WNV IgG antibodies for the routine laboratory is urgently needed. In this study, we compared two commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (anti-IgG WNV ELISA and anti-NS1-IgG WNV), a commercially available indirect immunofluorescence assay, and a newly developed in-house ELISA for the detection of WNV-NS1-IgG antibodies. All four tests were compared to an in-house NT to determine both the sensitivity and specificity of the four test systems. None of the assays could match the specificity of the NT, although the two NS1-IgG based ELISAs were very close to the specificity of the NT at 97.3% and 94.6%. The in-house WNV-NS1-IgG ELISA had the best performance regarding sensitivity and specificity. The specificities of the ELISA assays and the indirect immunofluorescence assays could not meet the necessary specificity and/or sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Girl
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany; (P.G.); (K.E.); (G.D.)
- Central Institute of the Bundeswehr Medical Service Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany
- Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Kathrin Euringer
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany; (P.G.); (K.E.); (G.D.)
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine II, University Medical Centre Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Mircea Coroian
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.C.); (A.D.M.)
| | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.C.); (A.D.M.)
| | - Johannes P. Borde
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine II, University Medical Centre Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
- Praxis Prof. Borde and Kollegen, 77704 Oberkirch, Germany
| | - Gerhard Dobler
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany; (P.G.); (K.E.); (G.D.)
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, LMU Center of Medicine, 80336 Munich, Germany
- Department of Parasitology, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
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3
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Topp AK, Springer A, Mischke R, Rieder J, Feige K, Ganter M, Nagel-Kohl U, Nordhoff M, Boelke M, Becker S, Pachnicke S, Schunack B, Dobler G, Strube C. Seroprevalence of tick-borne encephalitis virus in wild and domestic animals in northern Germany. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102220. [PMID: 37356181 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102220] [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: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a tick-transmitted flavivirus, which can infect humans and animals, sometimes even with a fatal outcome. Since many decades, TBEV is endemic in southern Germany, while only sporadic occurrence has been noted in northern parts of the country so far. Nevertheless, autochthonous human clinical cases are increasing in the federal state of Lower Saxony in north-western Germany, and several natural foci of TBEV transmission have recently been detected in this federal state. In order to shed more light on the current distribution of TBEV in Lower Saxony, the present study examined blood samples from wild and domestic animals for antibodies against TBEV. Overall, samples from 4,085 animals were tested by ELISA, including wild boar (N = 1,208), roe deer (N = 149), red deer (N = 61), fallow deer (N = 18), red foxes (N = 9), nutria (N = 9), raccoon dogs (N = 3), raccoons (N = 3), badgers (N = 1), European pine martens (N = 1), horses (N = 574), sheep (N = 266), goats (N = 67), dogs (N = 1,317) and cats (N = 399). Samples with an ELISA result of ≥60 Vienna units (VIEU)/ml were subjected to confirmatory serum neutralization tests (SNT). In total, 343 of 4,085 (8.4%) animals tested positive for anti-TBEV-IgG by ELISA, of which 60 samples were confirmed by SNT. Samples of 89 animals showed a cytotoxic effect in the SNT and were excluded from seroprevalence calculation, resulting in an overall seroprevalence of 1.5% (60/3,996). Seroprevalence was higher among wild animals (wild boar: 2.9% [34/1,190], roe deer: 2.7% [4/149], red deer: 1.7% [1/60], fallow deer: 5.6% [1/18]) than among domestic animals (dogs: 1.1% [15/1,317], horses: 0.8% [4/505], sheep: 0.4% [1/266]). No anti-TBEV-antibodies were detected in the other wild animal species as well as goats and cats. A notable clustering of positive samples was observed in districts where TBEV transmission foci have been described. Further clusters in other districts suggest the existence of so far undetected transmission foci, underlining the fact that both wild and domestic animals are useful sentinels for monitoring the spread of TBEV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Katharina Topp
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, Hannover 30559, Germany
| | - Andrea Springer
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, Hannover 30559, Germany
| | - Reinhard Mischke
- Clinic for Small Animals, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover 30559, Germany
| | - Johanna Rieder
- Clinic for Small Animals, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover 30559, Germany
| | - Karsten Feige
- Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover 30559, Germany
| | - Martin Ganter
- Clinic for Swine and Small Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover 30173, Germany
| | - Uschi Nagel-Kohl
- Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety, Veterinary Institute Hannover, Hannover 30173, Germany
| | - Marcel Nordhoff
- Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety, Food and Veterinary Institute Oldenburg, Oldenburg 26133, Germany
| | - Matthias Boelke
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, Hannover 30559, Germany
| | - Stefanie Becker
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, Hannover 30559, Germany
| | | | - Bettina Schunack
- Elanco Animal Health, Bayer Animal Health GmbH, Monheim 40789, Germany
| | - Gerhard Dobler
- National Reference Laboratory for TBEV, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich 80937, Germany
| | - Christina Strube
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, Hannover 30559, Germany.
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4
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Geißlreiter B, Kluger G, Eschermann K, Kiwull L, Staudt M, Dobler G, Wolf GK. High neutralizing antibody mismatch as a possible reason for vaccine failure in two children with severe tick-borne encephalitis. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2023; 14:102158. [PMID: 36989602 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
We describe two adolescents (13 and 16 years old) with severe tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and vaccination breakthrough (VBT). Both suffer from severe persistent neurologic sequelae. Both patients had high TBE-IgG-titers after vaccination at the beginning of the infection and a low or missing TBE-IgM response (Type 2 vaccine failure). Neutralization tests show low titers against the respective infecting TBE virus strain and higher titers against the vaccine strain at the beginning of the infection implying an individual weak or impaired immune response to the respective virus as possible cause of TBE vaccine failure. We do not know of any similar observation or explanation for the phenomenon and at the moment can only speculate of a severe course correlated to highly mismatched IgG. This constellation of high TBE IgGs, the lack of immune response and a severe course strongly resembles the severe TBE courses that occurred in the past after TBE immunoglobulin administration. To our knowledge differentiation between structural and functional antibodies by neutralization tests with a) the affecting TBE virus strain and b) the vaccine virus strain in TBE vaccine failures has never been described before. We conclude (1) to consider a TBE virus infection also in vaccinated children presenting with meningoencephalitis, (2) to perform a broad immunological work-up in severe TBE especially after VBT, (3) to further study if high mismatch IgG's are a possible reason for vaccine failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Geißlreiter
- Center for Pediatric Neurology, Neurorehabilitation and Epileptology, Schön Klinik, Vogtareuth, Krankenhausstr. 20, Vogtareuth 83569, Germany.
| | - Gerhard Kluger
- Center for Pediatric Neurology, Neurorehabilitation and Epileptology, Schön Klinik, Vogtareuth, Krankenhausstr. 20, Vogtareuth 83569, Germany; Paracelsus Privatuniversität Salzburg, Research Institute for Rehabilitation, Transition and Palliation, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, Salzburg 5020, Austria
| | - Kirsten Eschermann
- Paracelsus Privatuniversität Salzburg, Research Institute for Rehabilitation, Transition and Palliation, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, Salzburg 5020, Austria; Berlin Centre for Travel & Tropical Medicine, Friedrichstr. 134, Berlin 10117, Germany
| | - Lorenz Kiwull
- Paracelsus Privatuniversität Salzburg, Research Institute for Rehabilitation, Transition and Palliation, Paracelsus Medical University, Strubergasse 21, Salzburg 5020, Austria; Berlin Centre for Travel & Tropical Medicine, Friedrichstr. 134, Berlin 10117, Germany; Division of Pediatric Neurology, Developmental Medicine and Social Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics and Epilepsy Center, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Lindwurmstr. 4, Munich 80337, Germany; Institute of Social Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Lindwurmstr. 4, Munich 80337, Germany
| | - Martin Staudt
- Center for Pediatric Neurology, Neurorehabilitation and Epileptology, Schön Klinik, Vogtareuth, Krankenhausstr. 20, Vogtareuth 83569, Germany; Department for Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine, University Children's Hospital Hoppe-Seyler-Straße 1, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Gerhard Dobler
- Department of Virology and Rickettsiology, Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Neuherbergstr. 11, Munich 80937, Germany
| | - Gerhard K Wolf
- Department of Paediatrics, Kliniken Südostbayern AG, Cuno-Niggl-Straße 3, Traunstein 83278, Germany
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5
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Bestehorn-Willmann M, Girl P, Greiner F, Mackenstedt U, Dobler G, Lang D. Increased Vaccination Diversity Leads to Higher and Less-Variable Neutralization of TBE Viruses of the European Subtype. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1044. [PMID: 37376433 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11061044] [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: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an infectious disease of the central nervous system. The causative agent is the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), which is most commonly transmitted by tick bites, but which may also be transmitted through the consumption of raw dairy products or, in rare instances, via infected transfusions, transplants, or the slaughter of infected animals. The only effective preventive option is active immunization. Currently, two vaccines are available in Europe-Encepur® and FSME-IMMUN®. In Central, Eastern, and Northern Europe, isolated TBEV genotypes belong mainly to the European subtype (TBEV-EU). In this study, we investigated the ability of these two vaccines to induce neutralizing antibodies against a panel of diverse natural TBEV-EU isolates from TBE-endemic areas in southern Germany and in regions of neighboring countries. Sera of 33 donors vaccinated with either FSME-IMMUN®, Encepur®, or a mixture of both were tested against 16 TBEV-EU strains. Phylogenetic analysis of the TBEV-EU genomes revealed substantial genetic diversity and ancestry of the identified 13 genotypic clades. Although all sera were able to neutralize the TBEV-EU strains, there were significant differences among the various vaccination groups. The neutralization assays revealed that the vaccination using the two different vaccine brands significantly increased neutralization titers, decreased intra-serum variance, and reduced the inter-virus variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malena Bestehorn-Willmann
- Institute for Zoology, Parasitology Unit, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany
| | - Philipp Girl
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany
| | - Franziska Greiner
- Institute for Zoology, Parasitology Unit, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Ute Mackenstedt
- Institute for Zoology, Parasitology Unit, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Gerhard Dobler
- Institute for Zoology, Parasitology Unit, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Lang
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937 Munich, Germany
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6
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Ruzek D. Editorial for the Special Issue: “Tick-Borne Encephalitis”. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11040934. [PMID: 37110357 PMCID: PMC10144950 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11040934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a disease caused by the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) [...]
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ruzek
- Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, CZ-62500 Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ-37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Laboratory of Emerging Viral Infections, Veterinary Research Institute, CZ-62100 Brno, Czech Republic
- Research Center for Thermotolerant Microbial Resources, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 753-0841, Japan
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Trozzi G, Adjadj NR, Vervaeke M, Matthijs S, Sohier C, De Regge N. Comparison of Serological Methods for Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus-Specific Antibody Detection in Wild Boar and Sheep: Impact of the Screening Approach on the Estimated Seroprevalence. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020459. [PMID: 36851673 PMCID: PMC9958861 DOI: 10.3390/v15020459] [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: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a flavivirus transmitted by ticks. Serological screenings in animals are performed to estimate the prevalence and distribution of TBEV. Most screenings consist of a primary screening by ELISA, followed by confirmation of positive samples by plaque reduction neutralization tests (PRNTs). In this study, 406 wild boar sera were tested with 2 regularly used commercial ELISAs for flavivirus screening in animals (Immunozym FSME (TBEV) IgG All Species (Progen) and ID Screen West Nile Competition (Innovative Diagnostics)) and PRNTs for TBEV and USUTU virus. The results showed that the Immunozym and IDScreen ELISAs had low relative sensitivities of 23% and 20%, respectively, compared to the PRNT results. The relative specificities were 88% and 84% due to cross reactions with USUTU virus-specific antibodies. The minimal TBEV prevalence in our sample set was 8.6% when determined by PRNT. When the screening approach of ELISA testing followed by PRNT confirmation was applied, a TBEV seroprevalence of only 2.0% and 1.7% was found. The suboptimal performance of the ELISAs was confirmed by testing sera collected from experimentally TBEV-infected sheep. While the PRNT detected TBEV specific antibodies in 94% of samples collected between 7 and 18 days post-infection, the ELISAs classified only 50% and 31% of the samples as positive. Both routinely used ELISAs for TBEV antibody screening in animal sera were shown to have a low sensitivity, potentially leading to an underestimation of the true prevalence, and furthermore cross-react with other flavivirus antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Trozzi
- Unit of Exotic and Vector-Borne Diseases, Sciensano, Groeselenberg 99, 1180 Brussels, Belgium
- Correspondence:
| | - Nadjah Radia Adjadj
- Unit of Exotic and Vector-Borne Diseases, Sciensano, Groeselenberg 99, 1180 Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Severine Matthijs
- Viral Reemerging, Enzootic and Bee Diseases, Sciensano, Groeselenberg 99, 1180 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Sohier
- Unit of Exotic and Vector-Borne Diseases, Sciensano, Groeselenberg 99, 1180 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nick De Regge
- Unit of Exotic and Vector-Borne Diseases, Sciensano, Groeselenberg 99, 1180 Brussels, Belgium
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8
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Zhang D, Wang Y, Chen X, He Y, Zhao M, Lu X, Lu J, Ji L, Shen Q, Wang X, Yang S, Zhang W. Diversity of viral communities in faecal samples of farmed red foxes. Heliyon 2023; 9:e12826. [PMID: 36685457 PMCID: PMC9850053 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e12826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging and existing viruses from various human and animal samples have been studied and analyzed using viral metagenomics, which has proven to be an effective technique. Foxes, as a kind of significant economic animal, are widely raised in China. Viruses carried by foxes may potentially infect humans or other animals. There are currently very few studies of faecal virome in farmed foxes. Using viral metagenomics, we evaluated the faecal virome of twenty-four foxes collected from the same farm in Jilin Province, China. Some sequences more closely related to the families Parvoviridae, Picornaviridae, Smacoviridae, Anelloviridae, and Herpesviridae were detected in the faecal sample. The main animal viruses that infect farmed red foxes were parvovirus and picornavirus. Five smacovirus strains were found and provided evidence for genetic diversity in the genus Smacoviridae. In addition, some viruses infecting avian species or rats were detected in this study. The study helped us better understand faecal virome in farmed red foxes and assisted in the surveillance and prevention of viral diseases in these animals.
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Esser HJ, Lim SM, de Vries A, Sprong H, Dekker DJ, Pascoe EL, Bakker JW, Suin V, Franz E, Martina BEE, Koenraadt CJM. Continued Circulation of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Variants and Detection of Novel Transmission Foci, the Netherlands. Emerg Infect Dis 2022; 28:2416-2424. [PMID: 36288572 PMCID: PMC9707572 DOI: 10.3201/eid2812.220552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is an emerging pathogen that was first detected in ticks and humans in the Netherlands in 2015 (ticks) and 2016 (humans). To learn more about its distribution and prevalence in the Netherlands, we conducted large-scale surveillance in ticks and rodents during August 2018-September 2020. We tested 320 wild rodents and >46,000 ticks from 48 locations considered to be at high risk for TBEV circulation. We found TBEV RNA in 3 rodents (0.9%) and 7 tick pools (minimum infection rate 0.02%) from 5 geographically distinct foci. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that 3 different variants of the TBEV-Eu subtype circulate in the Netherlands, suggesting multiple independent introductions. Combined with recent human cases outside known TBEV hotspots, our data demonstrate that the distribution of TBEV in the Netherlands is more widespread than previously thought.
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10
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Seroprevalence Rates against West Nile, Usutu, and Tick-Borne Encephalitis Viruses in Blood-Donors from North-Western Romania. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19138182. [PMID: 35805850 PMCID: PMC9266370 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19138182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: West Nile virus (WNV), Usutu virus (USUV), and the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) are all arboviruses belonging to Flaviviridae family. All are characterized by vectorial transmission and sometimes associated with neuroinvasive infections. The circulation of these viruses is considered endemic in parts of Europe, with human cases reported in many countries. Among hosts, the viruses are vectored by hematophagous arthropods, such as mosquitoes (WNV, USUV) and ticks (TBEV). Considering the currently outdated knowledge regarding the epidemiology of these viruses in Romania, the aim of our study was to assess the seroprevalence rates of WNV, USUV, and TBEV among healthy blood donors in north-western Romania. Methods: Human blood samples from healthy donors were collected between November 2019 and February 2020 in six counties from the north-western region of Romania. The samples were serologically tested by ELISA and serum neutralization test. Results: Overall, we obtained a seroprevalence of 3.17% for WNV, 0.08% for TBEV, and 0% for USUV. Conclusion: Despite the low seroprevalence of WNV, USUV, and TBEV in our study, we highlight the need for continuous nationwide vector and disease surveillance and implementation of control measures. Further research is required for an optimal overview of the epidemiological status of the Romanian population regarding these flaviviruses together with countrywide awareness campaigns.
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Takahashi Y, Kobayashi S, Nakao R, Kariwa H, Yoshii K. Characterization of tick-borne encephalitis virus isolated from tick infesting dog in central Hokkaido in 2018. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:101900. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.101900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Comparison of Three Serological Methods for the Epidemiological Investigation of TBE in Dogs. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9020399. [PMID: 33671962 PMCID: PMC7919048 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9020399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus is an emerging pathogen that causes severe infections in humans. Infection risk areas are mostly defined based on the incidence of human cases, a method which does not work well in areas with sporadic TBE cases. Thus, sentinel animals may help to better estimate the existing risk. Serological tests should be thoroughly evaluated for this purpose. Here, we tested three test formats to assess the use of dogs as sentinel animals. A total of 208 dog sera from a known endemic area in Southern Germany were tested in an All-Species-ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence assays (IIFA), according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Sensitivity and specificity for both were determined in comparison to the micro-neutralization test (NT) results. Of all 208 samples, 22.1% tested positive in the micro-NT. A total of 18.3% of the samples showed characteristic fluorescence in the IIFA and were, thus, judged positive. In comparison to the micro-NT, a sensitivity of 78.3% and a specificity of 98.8% was obtained. In the ELISA, 19.2% of samples tested positive, with a sensitivity of 84.8% and a specificity of 99.4%. The ELISA is a highly specific test for TBE-antibody detection in dogs and should be well suited for acute diagnostics. However, due to deficits in sensitivity, it cannot replace the NT, at least for epidemiological studies. With even lower specificity and sensitivity, the same applies to IIFA.
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