Evidence of enzootic circulation of West Nile virus (Nea Santa-Greece-2010, lineage 2), Greece, May to July 2011

A West Nile virus (WNV) surveillance network including sentinel chickens was deployed in Thessaloniki county, Greece, from May to July 2011. For the first time in summer 2011, a chicken WNV isolate from 6 July was molecularly identified. The partial NS3 sequence was identical to that of the Nea Santa-Greece-2010 WNV lineage 2, detected in central Macedonia in 2010. This suggests that WNV is actively circulating in central Macedonia and that it may have overwintered in northern Greece.

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Co-Circulation of West Nile and Usutu Flaviviruses in Mosquitoes in Slovakia, 2018

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v11070639 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 639 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Viktória Čabanová ◽

Silvie Šikutová ◽

Petra Straková ◽

Oldřich Šebesta ◽

Bronislava Vichová ◽

...

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

West Nile Virus ◽

The European Union ◽

West Nile ◽

Usutu Virus ◽

Pathogenic Viruses ◽

Lineage 2 ◽

First Time

Monitoring West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) activity now has the highest priority among mosquito-borne pathogenic viruses circulating in the European Union. This study documents a first time detection and the co-circulation of WNV lineage-2 (with the minimal prevalence of 0.46%) and USUV clade Europe 2 (with the minimal prevalence of 0.25%) in mosquitoes from the same habitat of south-western Slovakia and underlines necessity to perform rigorous surveillance in birds, mosquitoes, horses and humans in that country.

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Usefulness of Eurasian Magpies (Pica pica) for West Nile virus Surveillance in Non-Endemic and Endemic Situations

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v11080716 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 716 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Napp ◽

Montalvo ◽

Piñol-Baena ◽

Gómez-Martín ◽

Nicolás-Francisco ◽

...

Keyword(s):

West Nile Virus ◽

Active Surveillance ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Pica Pica ◽

Northern Spain ◽

West Nile ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Virus Surveillance ◽

Lineage 2 ◽

First Time

: In September 2017, passive surveillance allowed the detection of West Nile virus (WNV) lineage 2 for the first time in northern Spain in a northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis). However, a cross sectional study carried out in Eurasian magpies (Pica pica) in a nearby area evidenced that WNV had been circulating two months earlier. Therefore, active surveillance in Eurasian magpies proved its effectiveness for the early detection of WNV in a non-endemic area. Further surveys in 2018 and the beginning of 2019 using young magpies (i.e., born after 2017) showed the repeated circulation of WNV in the same region in the following transmission season. Therefore, active surveillance in Eurasian magpies as well proved to be useful for the detection of WNV circulation in areas that may be considered as endemic. In this manuscript we present the results of those studies and discuss reasons that make the Eurasian magpies an ideal species for the surveillance of WNV, both in endemic and non-endemic areas.

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Ongoing outbreak of West Nile virus infections in humans in Greece, July – August 2010

Eurosurveillance ◽

10.2807/ese.15.34.19644-en ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 15 (34) ◽

Cited By ~ 91

Author(s):

A Papa ◽

K Danis ◽

A Baka ◽

A Bakas ◽

G Dougas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

West Nile Virus ◽

Aseptic Meningitis ◽

Mosquito Control ◽

Control Measures ◽

Virus Infections ◽

Northern Greece ◽

West Nile ◽

Neuroinvasive Disease ◽

First Time

Between early July and 22 August 2010, 81 cases of West Nile neuroinvasive disease were reported in the region of Central Macedonia, northern Greece. The median age of cases was 70 years. Encephalitis, meningoencephalitis or aseptic meningitis occurred mainly in patients aged 50 years or older. This is the first time that West Nile virus (WNV) infection has been documented in humans in Greece. Enhanced surveillance and mosquito control measures have been implemented.

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West Nile virus infections in France, July to November 2018

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz186.631 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

L Ramalli ◽

G Grard ◽

C Beck ◽

P Gallian ◽

G L’Ambert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

West Nile Virus ◽

Blood Donation ◽

Virus Transmission ◽

Reference Laboratory ◽

Virus Infections ◽

West Nile ◽

West Nile Virus Transmission ◽

Lineage 2 ◽

First Time ◽

Epidemiological Situation

Abstract In July 2018, one autochthonous case of West Nile virus (WNV) infection was identified in Nice, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (Paca). We investigated to determine the potential place of infection and the extent of viral circulation in the area, in order to guide control and preventive measures. In affected areas, we raised awareness of health professionals on WNV infections, substance of human origin safety relied on nucleic acid testing for WNV and on deferral of blood donors indicating minimum one night of stay in the areas for 28 days. Equine, wild bird and entomologic surveillance activities were reinforced. The human arboviruses national reference laboratory (NRL) retrospectively tested samples from hospitalized individuals from June 1st with meningitis and encephalitis around Nice. We tested negative suspected autochthonous cases of chikungunya and dengue infections notified since July in Paca and presenting WNV compatible symptoms. Measures were adapted along identification of additional cases. We identified 27 autochthonous cases, with onset of symptoms between July 7th and November 12th: 24 in Paca, 2 in Corsica and 1 in Occitanie. Seven cases presented neuroinvasives symptoms, 18 flu-like symptoms and 2 were asymptomatic. One blood donation and 2 organs tested positive for WNV. The animal NRL identified 13 equine cases (1 in Paca, 5 in Corsica and 7 in Occitanie) and 4 infected raptors with nervous symptoms (3 in Paca and 1 in Corsica). Genomic characterization of the virus identified a strain belonging to the lineage 2 among 2 raptors. No virus was found in mosquitoes captured in affected areas. Since 2000, six episodes of WNV transmission were reported in France but none with this extent. For the first time, the lineage 2, circulating in Italy and other European countries, was isolated in France which might be changing epidemiological situation. Therefore, surveillance activities should be revised in order to promptly secure blood products. Key messages We describe the most important episode of West Nile Virus transmission identified in humans in France. In 2018, West Nile virus lineage 2 was isolated for the first time in France which might change the epidemiological situation in the country.

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Emerging Trends in the West Nile Virus Epidemiology in Croatia in the ‘One Health’ Context, 2011–2020

Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease ◽

10.3390/tropicalmed6030140 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 140

Author(s):

Tatjana Vilibic-Cavlek ◽

Vladimir Savic ◽

Ana Klobucar ◽

Thomas Ferenc ◽

Maja Ilic ◽

...

Keyword(s):

West Nile Virus ◽

West Nile ◽

North West ◽

Neuroinvasive Disease ◽

Emerging Trends ◽

Serologic Evidence ◽

Lineage 2 ◽

The One ◽

Human Infections ◽

First Time

West Nile virus (WNV) is one of the most widely distributed (re-)emerging arboviruses. In Croatia, acute WNV infections as well as seropositivity were detected in humans, horses, birds and poultry. Although serologic evidence of WNV human infections dates back to the 1970s, no clinical cases were reported until 2012. WNV outbreaks, as well as sporadic infections, were continuously recorded in continental Croatian counties from 2012 to 2018. In addition, acute asymptomatic infections (IgM antibodies) in horses have been regularly notified in continental regions since 2012, while seropositive horses (seroprevalence rates 3.7–21.4%) were detected in both continental and coastal regions. Moreover, WNV seropositivity in poultry (1.8–22.9%) was reported from 2013 to 2020. During the largest WNV outbreak in 2018, WNV RNA was detected for the first time in two dead goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) from the same aviary in North-West Croatia, while WNV antibodies were found in one buzzard (Butteo butteo) from the same region. In addition, WNV RNA was detected in a dead blackbird (Turdus merula) at the Croatian littoral. The phylogenetic analysis of 11 strains detected in urine samples of patients with neuroinvasive disease and 1 strain detected in a goshawk showed circulation of WNV lineage 2. Thus far, WNV has not been detected in mosquitoes in Croatia.

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of Equine encephalomyelitis outbreak caused by a genetic lineage 2 West Nile virus in Hungary.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.10115956.10883054 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Lyle Petersen

Keyword(s):

West Nile Virus ◽

Genetic Lineage ◽

West Nile ◽

Lineage 2

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Contrasted Epidemiological Patterns of West Nile Virus Lineages 1 and 2 Infections in France from 2015 to 2019

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens9110908 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 908 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Cécile Beck ◽

Isabelle Leparc Goffart ◽

Florian Franke ◽

Gaelle Gonzalez ◽

Marine Dumarest ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

West Nile Virus ◽

Invasive Disease ◽

Northern Italy ◽

Breaking Point ◽

Organ Donors ◽

West Nile ◽

Organ Donations ◽

History Of ◽

Lineage 2

Since 2015, annual West Nile virus (WNV) outbreaks of varying intensities have been reported in France. Recent intensification of enzootic WNV circulation was observed in the South of France with most horse cases detected in 2015 (n = 49), 2018 (n = 13), and 2019 (n = 13). A WNV lineage 1 strain was isolated from a horse suffering from West Nile neuro-invasive disease (WNND) during the 2015 episode in the Camargue area. A breaking point in WNV epidemiology was achieved in 2018, when WNV lineage 2 emerged in Southeastern areas. This virus most probably originated from WNV spread from Northern Italy and caused WNND in humans and the death of diurnal raptors. WNV lineage 2 emergence was associated with the most important human WNV epidemics identified so far in France (n = 26, including seven WNND cases and two infections in blood and organ donors). Two other major findings were the detection of WNV in areas with no or limited history of WNV circulation (Alpes-Maritimes in 2018, Corsica in 2018–2019, and Var in 2019) and distinct spatial distribution of human and horse WNV cases. These new data reinforce the necessity to enhance French WNV surveillance to better anticipate future WNV epidemics and epizootics and to improve the safety of blood and organ donations.

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