scholarly journals Evidence of West Nile Virus Circulation in Lebanon

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 994
Author(s):  
Renée Zakhia ◽  
Alan P. Dupuis ◽  
Fayçal Khodr ◽  
Mahdi Fadel ◽  
Laura D. Kramer ◽  
...  

West Nile virus (WNV) has never been reported from Lebanon. Yet, this country is located on the flyway of migratory birds in the Middle East region. Serological screening was conducted to assess the potential circulation of this virus. Human, horse, and chicken sera were collected from the Bekaa and North districts. Specific IgG and IgY were first screened by ELISA. Then, positive samples were confirmed by plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). Besides this, adult mosquitoes were collected and tested for the presence of WNV RNA using conventional RT-PCR. Sera screening revealed a seroprevalence rate reaching 1.86% among humans and 2.47% among horses. Cross-reactions revealed by ELISA suggested the circulation of flaviviruses other than WNV. None of the tested mosquitoes was positive for WNV. The observed results constitute strong evidence of local exposure of the Lebanese population to this virus and the first report of equine WNV in Lebanon.

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Ana Klobucar ◽  
Vladimir Savic ◽  
Marcela Curman Posavec ◽  
Suncica Petrinic ◽  
Urska Kuhar ◽  
...  

In the period from 2015 to 2020, an entomological survey for the presence of West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) in mosquitoes was performed in northwestern Croatia. A total of 20,363 mosquitoes were sampled in the City of Zagreb and Međimurje county, grouped in 899 pools and tested by real-time RT-PCR for WNV and USUV RNA. All pools were negative for WNV while one pool each from 2016 (Aedes albopictus), 2017 (Culex pipiens complex), 2018 (Cx. pipiens complex), and 2019 (Cx. pipiens complex), respectively, was positive for USUV. The 2018 and 2019 positive pools shared 99.31% nucleotide homology within the USUV NS5 gene and both clustered within USUV Europe 2 lineage. The next-generation sequencing of one mosquito pool (Cx. pipiens complex) collected in 2018 in Zagreb confirmed the presence of USUV and revealed several dsDNA and ssRNA viruses of insect, bacterial and mammalian origin.


2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 573-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Niczyporuk ◽  
E. Samorek-Salamonowicz ◽  
W. Kozdruń ◽  
Z. Mizak

The survey of wild birds for West Nile virus in PolandTwo thousand one hundred and forty birds belonging to 39 different species from different locations in Poland were examined. The study has taken place from the early spring till late autumn 2007-2010 when the activity of the mosquitoes was the highest. The brain samples were taken from the birds and whole cellular RNA was isolated, then the RT-PCR and NRT-PCR were performed to detect the presence of West Nile virus (WNV). The obtained results were confirmed by the commercial WNV Kit. No genetic material of WNV was found in the examined samples.


2007 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julu Bhatnagar ◽  
Jeannette Guarner ◽  
Christopher D. Paddock ◽  
Wun-Ju Shieh ◽  
Robert S. Lanciotti ◽  
...  

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 494
Author(s):  
Angela Petruccelli ◽  
Tiziana Zottola ◽  
Gianmarco Ferrara ◽  
Valentina Iovane ◽  
Cristina Di Russo ◽  
...  

Background: A retrospective sero-survey for evidence of West Nile virus (WNV) infection in European wild boar (Sus scorfa) was conducted in the Latium region, Italy, on stored serum samples of the period November 2011 to January 2012. Methods: Sera were collected from 168 European wild boars and screened for antibodies to WNV and other Flaviviruses by competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA). All sera positive for Flavivirus antibodies by cELISA were further examined by virus neutralization test (VNT). To test the presence of Flavivirus RNA in samples, an RT-PCR was performed using a pan-Flavivirus primers pair. Results: Thirteen wild boars (7.73%) were seropositive for Flaviviruses. The hemolysis of serum samples limited the interpretation of the VNT for 7 samples, confirming the presence of specific antibody against WNV in a single European wild boar serum sample. The presence of ELISA positive/VNT negative samples suggests the occurrence of non-neutralizing antibodies against WNV or other antigen-related Flaviviruses. No samples resulted positive for Flavivirus by RT-PCR assay. Conclusion: Although a moderately high percentage of animals with specific antibody for WNV has been detected in wild boar in other surveillance studies in Europe, this has not been reported previously in Italy. Together, these data indicate that European wild boar are exposed to WNV and/or other related-Flavivirus in central Italy and confirm the usefulness of wild ungulates, as suitable Flavivirus sentinels.


Author(s):  
Erica Azevedo Costa ◽  
José Joffre Martins Bayeux ◽  
Aila Solimar Gonçalves Silva ◽  
Guilherme Alves De Queiroz ◽  
Beatriz Senra Álvares da Silva Santos ◽  
...  

West Nile virus (WNV) is a neurovirulent mosquito-borne Flavivirus that is maintained in nature by a zoonotic transmissioncycle between avian hosts and ornithophilic mosquito vectors, mostly from the Culex genus. Until the 1990s, WNV wasconsidered to be an old-world arbovirus, but in 1999, WNV emerged in the United States (US) and spread rapidly, becoming amajor threat to public health. WNV adapted to the transmission cycle involving American mosquitoes and birds and reachedCentral and South America in subsequent years. In 2003, the National West Nile Fever Surveillance System was created in Brazilbased on serological screening of animals and sentinel vectors, as recommended by the Pan American Health Organization(PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Since 2008, serological evidence of WNV infection in Brazilian horseshas been reported, and the circulation of WNV has been monitored through the regular serological screening of sentinel horsesand reporting of encephalomyelitis cases. Horses are highly susceptible to WNV infection, and outbreaks of neurologicaldisease among horses often precede human cases. In this regard, equine surveillance has been essential in providing earlywarning to public and animal health authorities in several countries, including Brazil. This demonstrates the need for animaland public health intervention programs to allocate resources to make veterinarians aware of the role they can play in thehuman surveillance processes by monitoring horses. This review discusses the importance of equine surveillance and the gapthat veterinarians can fill on the front line in human surveillance, in Brazil and worldwide, in the context of “One Health”


2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 405-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jowita Niczyporuk ◽  
Elżbieta Samorek-Salamonowicz ◽  
Wojciech Kozdruń ◽  
Zbigniew Mizak

The aim of the study was to attempt the detection of West Nile virus (WNV) in wild birds in Poland. Forty-eight species of 1912 wild birds were used for the investigations. The birds were derived from various locations in Poland from early spring till late autumn of the years 2009–2011. The brain samples were homogenised and cellular RNA was isolated. Two methods (RT-PCR and nested RT-PCR) were used. The presence of WNV RNA was not detected in the samples examined. Additionally, a short analysis of the epizootiological situation regarding the presence of WNV in Poland is presented.


2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shi Li-Jun ◽  
Lu Mao-Min ◽  
Li Gang ◽  
Li Cheng-Yao ◽  
Zhang Jin-Gang

AbstractA rapid real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for detecting West Nile virus (WNV) was established. Primers were designed according to the sequence of the capsid protein gene of WNV by Primer Premier 5.0. In this way, an inexpensive assay using the intercalating dye SYBR Green I was developed and validated. The amplifying curve showed that this method could successfully amplify 102 copies/μl of the WNV gene, while reference to Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and blank control were all negative. Tenfold successive dilutions of positive WNV DNA were used to measure the sensitivity of RT-PCR. The assay system showed high reproducibility with coefficient of variation (CV) <2%. Thus the newly established RT-PCR assay was shown to be a rapid, sensitive and specific test for detecting WNV.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae Woong Lee ◽  
Yu-Jung Won ◽  
Sung-Geun Lee ◽  
Soon-Young Paik

Background: The West Nile Virus (WNV), discovered in New York, USA in 1999 after it was first isolated in Uganda in 1937, has since spread not only in the United States but also around the world. Africa, Eurasia, Australia, and the Middle East have sporadic cases of the disease. Objectives: We aimed to find real-time reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay to be more sensitive than conventional RT-PCR, and more rapid and efficient than conventional RT-PCR and real-time RT-PCR for WNV detection. Methods: A total of 32 genomic sequences from different strains of WNV were analyzed to identify conserved nucleotide sequence regions. Six WNV specific RT-LAMP primers targeting the E gene were designed. Results: The novel primer for the real-time RT-LAMP assay can detect WNV with high specificity. The efficiency of the real-time RT-LAMP assay is higher than the conventional RT-PCR and real-time RT-PCR. Real-time RT-PCR and conventional PCR require at least 30 – 40 min and 2 h, respectively, to yield results, whereas real-time RT-LAMP provides positive results in only 10 – 20 min. Conclusions: The novel primers were developed by analyzing of 32 genomic sequences of WNV strains. The primers were designed from the most conserved region of the E gene for real-time RT-LAMP. The LAMP assay is a rapid, efficient, highly sensitive, and specific tool for the identification of WNV.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2367
Author(s):  
Mohd Yuseri Ain-Najwa ◽  
Abd Rahaman Yasmin ◽  
Siti Suri Arshad ◽  
Abdul Rahman Omar ◽  
Jalila Abu ◽  
...  

The role of wildlife such as wild birds, macaques, and bats in the spreading and maintenance of deadly zoonotic pathogens in nature have been well documented in many parts of the world. One such pathogen is the mosquitoes borne virus, namely the West Nile Virus (WNV). Previous research has shown that 1:7 and 1:6 Malaysian wild birds are WNV antibody and RNA positive, respectively, and bats in North America may not be susceptible to the WNV infection. This study was conducted to determine the status of WNV in Malaysian macaques and bats found in mangrove forests and caves, respectively. Archive sera and oropharyngeal swabs from long-tailed macaques were subjected to the antibody detection using WNV competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA) and WNV RNA using RT-PCR, respectively, while the archive oropharyngeal and rectal swabs from bats were subjected to RT-PCR without serological analysis due to the unavailability of serum samples. The analysis revealed a WNV seropositivity of 29.63% (24/81) and none of the macaques were positive for WNV RNA. Meanwhile, 12.2% (5/41) of the bats from Pteropodidae, Emballonuridae, and Rhinolophidae families tested positive for WNV RNA. Here, we show a high WNV antibody prevalence in macaques and a moderate WNV RNA in various Malaysian bat species, suggesting that WNV circulates through Malaysian wild animals and Malaysian bat species may be susceptible to the WNV infection.


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