European Surveillance for West Nile Virus in Mosquito Populations

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Olivier Engler⁸  Giovanni Savini⁴  Anna Papa⁵  Jordi Figuerola³  Martin H. Groschup¹  Helge Kampen¹  Jolyon Medlock⁶  Alexander Vaux⁶  Anthony J. Wilson⁷  Doreen Werner⁹  Hanna Jöst¹⁰  Maria Goffredo⁴  Gioia Capelli^2,8  Valentina Federici⁴  Mauro Tonolla^2,8  Nicola Patocchi^2,8  Eleonora Flacio^2,8  Jasmine Portmann⁸  Anya Rossi-Pedruzzi^2,8  Spiros Mourelatos^2,8  Santiago Ruiz^2,8  Ana Vázquez^2,8  Mattia Calzolari^2,8  Paolo Bonilauri^2,8  Michele Dottori^2,8  Francis Schaffner^2,8  Alexander Mathis^2,8 

[1] Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald—Insel Riems, Südufer 17493, Germany; E-Mails:;Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio s/n, Sevilla 41092, Spain; E-Mail:;Zooprofilactic Institute Abruzzo and Molise “G. Caporale”, Campo Boario, Teramo 64100, Italy; E-Mails:;Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54124, Greece; E-Mail:;Public Health England, Medical Entomology group, MRA, Emergency Response Department, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK; E-Mails:;The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright GU24 0NF, UK; E-Mail:;Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Woodham Lane, Surrey KT15, 3NB, UK;Institute of Land Use Systems, Leibnitz Centre for Agricultural Lanscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Strasse 84, Müncheberg 15374, Germany; E-Mail:;German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Luebeck-Borstel, Hamburg, Germany and German Mosquito Control Association (KABS), Waldsee and Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg D-20359, Germany; E-Mail:

关键词: West Nile virus;    mosquito;    surveillance;    vector;    invasive species;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph10104869

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

A wide range of arthropod-borne viruses threaten both human and animal health either through their presence in Europe or through risk of introduction. Prominent among these is West Nile virus (WNV), primarily an avian virus, which has caused multiple outbreaks associated with human and equine mortality. Endemic outbreaks of West Nile fever have been reported in Italy, Greece, France, Romania, Hungary, Russia and Spain, with further spread expected. Most outbreaks in Western Europe have been due to infection with WNV Lineage 1. In Eastern Europe WNV Lineage 2 has been responsible for human and bird mortality, particularly in Greece, which has experienced extensive outbreaks over three consecutive years. Italy has experienced co-circulation with both virus lineages. The ability to manage this threat in a cost-effective way is dependent on early detection. Targeted surveillance for pathogens within mosquito populations offers the ability to detect viruses prior to their emergence in livestock, equine species or human populations. In addition, it can establish a baseline of mosquito-borne virus activity and allow monitoring of change to this over time. Early detection offers the opportunity to raise disease awareness, initiate vector control and preventative vaccination, now available for horses, and encourage personal protection against mosquito bites. This would have major benefits through financial savings and reduction in equid morbidity/mortality. However, effective surveillance that predicts virus outbreaks is challenged by a range of factors including limited resources, variation in mosquito capture rates (too few or too many), difficulties in mosquito identification, often reliant on specialist entomologists, and the sensitive, rapid detection of viruses in mosquito pools. Surveillance for WNV and other arboviruses within mosquito populations varies between European countries in the extent and focus of the surveillance. This study reviews the current status of WNV in mosquito populations across Europe and how this is informing our understanding of virus epidemiology. Key findings such as detection of virus, presence of vector species and invasive mosquito species are summarized, and some of the difficulties encountered when applying a cost-effective surveillance programme are highlighted.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.