Serological and molecular investigation into the role of wild birds in the epidemiology of West Nile virus in Greece

Virology Journal

Charalambos Billinis²  Liljana Petrovska⁶  Zisis Dalabiras²  Vassiliki Spyrou⁵  Periklis Birtsas³  Christos Iacovakis²  Alexios Giannakopoulos⁴  Labrini V Athanasiou¹  Antonia Touloudi²  George Valiakos² 

[1] Department of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece;Laboratory of Zoonoses Research, Institute of Biomedical Research and Technology (BIOMED/CERETETH), Larissa, Greece;Hunting Federation of Macedonia and Thrace, Thessaloniki, Greece;Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, 224 str. Trikalon, Karditsa, 43100, Greece;Department of Animal Production, Technological Education Institute of Larissa, Larissa, Greece;Department of Bacteriology, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Weybridge, UK

关键词: Wild birds;    West nile virus;    Serological surveillance;    Outbreak;    Molecular epidemiology;    Greece;   

Others  :  1153273
DOI  :  10.1186/1743-422X-9-266

 received in 2012-02-23, accepted in 2012-10-17,  发布年份 2012

【 摘 要 】

Background

A West Nile virus (WNV) disease outbreak occurred in 2010 in northern Greece with a total of 262 laboratory-confirmed human cases and 35 deaths. A serological and molecular surveillance was conducted on samples of hunter-harvested wild birds prior to and during the outbreak.

Findings

Serum and tissue samples from 295 resident and migratory wild birds, hunter-harvested during the 2009–2010 and 2010–2011 hunting seasons at the epicenter of the outbreak in northern Greece, were tested for the presence of WNV-specific antibodies by immunofluorescence assay and virus neutralization test. WNV neutralizing antibodies were detected in 53 avian samples. Fourteen positive sera were obtained from birds hunter-harvested up to 8 months prior to the human outbreak. Specific genetic determinants of virulence (His249Pro NS3 mutation, E-glycosylation motif) were recognized in a WNV lineage 2 strain isolated from a hunter-harvested Eurasian magpie and a nucleotide mismatch was revealed between this strain and a mosquito WNV strain isolated one month earlier in the same area.

Conclusions

This is the first report regarding exposure of wild birds to WNV prior to the 2010 outbreak, in Greece. Results provide evidence of the implication of wild birds in a local enzootic cycle that could allow maintenance and amplification of the virus before and during the outbreak. Findings of past exposure of migratory birds to WNV upon their arrival in Greece during autumn migration, suggest avian species with similar migration traits as candidates for the introduction of WNV into Greece. The possibility that an endemic circulation of WNV could have caused the outbreak, after an amplification cycle due to favorable conditions cannot be excluded.

【 授权许可】

   
2012 Valiakos et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

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