Naslov
Molecular epidemiology of West Nile virus infections in Croatia

Autori
Savić, Vladimir ; Barbić, Ljubo ; Balenović, Mirta ; Vrtarić, Sandra ; Tabain, Irena ; Bogdanić, Maja ; Stevanović, Vladimir ; Vilibić-Čavlek, Tatjana

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, neobjavljeni rad, stručni

Skup
CROCMID 2019 12th Croatian Congress of Clinical Microbiology, 9th Croatian Congress on Infectious Diseases

Mjesto i datum
Split, Hrvatska, 24.10.2019. - 27.10.2019

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Domaća recenzija

Ključne riječi
West Nile virus ; molecular epidemiology ; Croatia

Sažetak
West Nile virus (WNV) belongs to the family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus. Birds are natural reservoir for WNV, mosquitoes are vectors, while humans and other vertebrates are considered as accidental hosts. Infections caused by WNV in humans vary in the presentation, from asymptomatic infections to a severe neuroinvasive disease. In Croatia, WNV infections are detected in horses, birds and humans using serological and molecular methods. Currently, there are nine genetic lineages proposed for classification of WNV and the lineages 1 and 2 are responsible for extensive epidemics in animals and humans. The aim of this study was to present the molecular epidemiology of WNV infections in Croatia in the transmission seasons 2017 and 2018. Viral RNA was sequenced using Sanger method in four human samples in 2017 as well as eight human and one sample from a dead goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) in 2018. Analysis of the NS5 gene segment has shown that all the strains belong to the lineage 2 and show high similarity with strains detected in different hosts in other European countries. Grouping of nucleotide sequences from our country into different clusters regardless the transmission season, location and host was observed. This indicates to probably multiple introduction of the virus into Croatia, intensive circulation and local overwintering of the virus. For the viral RNA from the dead goshawk the whole genome was sequenced in 12 partially overlapping segments using Sanger method. The whole genome shows the highest similarity (99.8%) with strains detected the same year in birds from Germany. Despite the high similarity, a deletion of eight nucleotides was found in the 3’ non- coding region of the genome which is not present in any of the available WNV sequences. Further studies at the molecular level of WNV detected in Croatia are needed to obtain better insight into the WNV molecular epidemiology and its local specificity.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Javno zdravstvo i zdravstvena zaštita, Veterinarska medicina

POVEZANOST RADA