Genetic Characterization of a Neurovirulent West Nile Virus Variant Associated with a Fatal Great Grey Owl Infection
Katarína Peňazziová,
Ľuboš Korytár,
Patrik Pastorek,
Juraj Pistl,
Diana Rusňáková,
Tomáš Szemes,
Viktória Čabanová,
Martina Ličková,
Kristína Boršová,
Boris Klempa,
Tomáš Csank
Affiliations
Katarína Peňazziová
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Komenského 73, 04181 Košice, Slovakia
Ľuboš Korytár
Department of Epizootiology, Parasitology and Protection of One Health, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Komenského 73, 04181 Košice, Slovakia
Patrik Pastorek
ZOO Košice, Ulica k Zoologickej Záhrade 1, 04001 Košice, Slovakia
Juraj Pistl
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Komenského 73, 04181 Košice, Slovakia
Diana Rusňáková
Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Science Park, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 8, 84104 Bratislava, Slovakia
Tomáš Szemes
Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Science Park, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 8, 84104 Bratislava, Slovakia
Viktória Čabanová
Biomedical Research Center of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Department of Virus Ecology, Institute of Virology, Dúbravská Cesta 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia
Martina Ličková
Biomedical Research Center of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Department of Virus Ecology, Institute of Virology, Dúbravská Cesta 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia
Kristína Boršová
Biomedical Research Center of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Department of Virus Ecology, Institute of Virology, Dúbravská Cesta 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia
Boris Klempa
Biomedical Research Center of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Department of Virus Ecology, Institute of Virology, Dúbravská Cesta 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia
Tomáš Csank
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Komenského 73, 04181 Košice, Slovakia
This study reports on a fatal case of a captive great grey owl infected with the West Nile virus (WNV) in the zoological garden Košice, eastern Slovakia (Central Europe). The tissue samples of the dead owl were used for virus isolation and genetic characterization. The novel isolate is genetically closer to Hungarian, Greek, and Bulgarian strains from the central/southern European clade of lineage 2 than to the strains previously isolated in Slovakia. Interestingly, it carries NS3-249P, a molecular virulence determinant associated with higher neurovirulence, which has not previously been observed in Slovakia. Subsequent serological investigation of the captive owls revealed additional seropositive animals, indicating local WNV transmission. Although no WNV-positive mosquitoes were found, the presence of the WNV principal vector Culex pipiens complex together with the described fatal case and further serological findings indicate an endemic focus of bird-neurovirulent WNV variant in the area.
