Back to Search Start Over

West Nile and Usutu Viruses' Surveillance in Birds of the Province of Ferrara, Italy, from 2015 to 2019.

Authors :
Lauriano, Alessandra
Rossi, Arianna
Galletti, Giorgio
Casadei, Gabriele
Santi, Annalisa
Rubini, Silva
Carra, Elena
Lelli, Davide
Calzolari, Mattia
Tamba, Marco
Source :
Viruses (1999-4915); Jul2021, Vol. 13 Issue 7, p1367-1367, 1p
Publication Year :
2021

Abstract

West Nile (WNV) and Usutu (USUV) viruses are mosquito-borne flaviviruses. Thanks to their importance as zoonotic diseases, a regional plan for surveillance of Arboviruses was implemented in Emilia-Romagna in 2009. The province of Ferrara belongs to the Emilia-Romagna region, and it is an endemic territory for these viruses, with favorable ecological conditions for abundance of mosquitoes and wild birds. From 2015 to 2019, we collected 1842 dead-found birds at a wildlife rehabilitation center, which were analysed by three different PCRs for the detection of WNV and USUV genomes. August was characterized by the highest infection rate for both viruses. Columbiformes scored the highest USUV prevalence (8%), while Galliformes and Strigiformes reported the highest prevalence for WNV (13%). Among Passeriformes (the most populated Order), Turdus merula was the most abundant species and scored the highest prevalence for both viruses. To optimize passive surveillance plans, monitoring should be focused on the summer and towards the avian species more prone to infection by both viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
19994915
Volume :
13
Issue :
7
Database :
Complementary Index
Journal :
Viruses (1999-4915)
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
151612082
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/v13071367