| Autor: |
Tomazatos A; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, Germany., Jansen S; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, Germany., Pfister S; Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany., Török E; 'Lendület' Landscape and Conservation Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Botany, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, 2163 Vácrátót, Hungary., Maranda I; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, Germany., Horváth C; Department of Clinical Sciences-Infectious Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania., Keresztes L; Center of Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, 400372 Cluj Napoca, Romania., Spînu M; Department of Clinical Sciences-Infectious Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania., Tannich E; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, Germany.; German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hamburg-Luebeck-Borstel-Riems, 20359 Hamburg, Germany., Jöst H; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, Germany., Schmidt-Chanasit J; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, Germany.; Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Universität Hamburg, 20148 Hamburg, Germany., Cadar D; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, Germany., Lühken R; Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, Germany.; Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Universität Hamburg, 20148 Hamburg, Germany. |
| Abstrakt: |
The ecology of West Nile virus (WNV) in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (Romania) was investigated by combining studies on the virus genetics, phylogeography, xenosurveillance and host-feeding patterns of mosquitoes. Between 2014 and 2016, 655,667 unfed and 3842 engorged mosquito females were collected from four sampling sites. Blood-fed mosquitoes were negative for WNV-RNA, but two pools of unfed Culex pipiens s.l./ torrentium collected in 2014 were tested positive. Our results suggest that Romania experienced at least two separate WNV lineage 2 introductions: from Africa into Danube Delta and from Greece into south-eastern Romania in the 1990s and early 2000s, respectively. The genetic diversity of WNV in Romania is primarily shaped by in situ evolution. WNV-specific antibodies were detected for 19 blood-meals from dogs and horses, but not from birds or humans. The hosts of mosquitoes were dominated by non-human mammals (19 species), followed by human and birds (23 species). Thereby, the catholic host-feeding pattern of Culex pipiens s.l./ torrentium with a relatively high proportion of birds indicates the species' importance as a potential bridge vector. The low virus prevalence in combination with WNV-specific antibodies indicate continuous, but low activity of WNV in the Danube Delta during the study period. |
