Microorganisms (Apr 2022)
Spread of West Nile Virus and Usutu Virus in the German Bird Population, 2019–2020
- Ute Ziegler,
- Felicitas Bergmann,
- Dominik Fischer,
- Kerstin Müller,
- Cora M. Holicki,
- Balal Sadeghi,
- Michael Sieg,
- Markus Keller,
- Rebekka Schwehn,
- Maximilian Reuschel,
- Luisa Fischer,
- Oliver Krone,
- Monika Rinder,
- Karolin Schütte,
- Volker Schmidt,
- Martin Eiden,
- Christine Fast,
- Anne Günther,
- Anja Globig,
- Franz J. Conraths,
- Christoph Staubach,
- Florian Brandes,
- Michael Lierz,
- Rüdiger Korbel,
- Thomas W. Vahlenkamp,
- Martin H. Groschup
Affiliations
- Ute Ziegler
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- Felicitas Bergmann
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- Dominik Fischer
- Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- Kerstin Müller
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Small Animal Clinic, Freie Universität Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany
- Cora M. Holicki
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- Balal Sadeghi
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- Michael Sieg
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Markus Keller
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- Rebekka Schwehn
- Department of Small Mammal, Reptile and Avian Diseases, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany
- Maximilian Reuschel
- Department of Small Mammal, Reptile and Avian Diseases, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559 Hannover, Germany
- Luisa Fischer
- Wildlife Research Institute, 53229 Bonn, Germany
- Oliver Krone
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Department of Wildlife Diseases, 10315 Berlin, Germany
- Monika Rinder
- Clinic for Birds, Small Mammals, Reptiles and Ornamental Fish, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany
- Karolin Schütte
- Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center, 31553 Sachsenhagen, Germany
- Volker Schmidt
- Clinic for Birds and Reptiles, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Martin Eiden
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- Christine Fast
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- Anne Günther
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Diagnostic Virology, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- Anja Globig
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of International Animal Health/One Health, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- Franz J. Conraths
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- Christoph Staubach
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Epidemiology, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- Florian Brandes
- Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center, 31553 Sachsenhagen, Germany
- Michael Lierz
- Clinic for Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
- Rüdiger Korbel
- Clinic for Birds, Small Mammals, Reptiles and Ornamental Fish, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany
- Thomas W. Vahlenkamp
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Martin H. Groschup
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10040807
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 10,
no. 4
p. 807
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are important flaviviruses circulating in Germany. While USUV was first reported more than 10 years ago, WNV has only reached the country in 2018. Wild birds are important amplifying hosts for both viruses. Therefore, we have been monitoring the bird population in different regions of Germany by a previously established network for many years. This report summarizes the results of molecular and/or serological methods of 2345 blood samples from birds of 22 different orders and over 2900 bird carcasses from 2019 and 2020. USUV RNA circulation was found in different regions of Germany, with emphasis on USUV lineages Europe 3 and Africa 3. Increased evidence of USUV lineage Europe 2 was detected in eastern Germany. WNV RNA was found only in birds from the eastern part of the country. The seroprevalence for USUV was between 3.11% and 7.20% in all three regions investigated, whereas the WNV seroprevalence spanned from 14.77% to 16.15% in eastern Germany, with a noticeable tendency for a westward and southward expansion in both years. Thus, wild bird monitoring for WNV and USUV can serve as an early warning system for a human exposure risk.
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