Potential for emergence of Japanese encephalitis in the European Union.

Background And Objective: No autochthonous human cases of Japanese encephalitis (JE) have been reported to date in the European Union (EU). In this study, we assess the likelihood of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) introduction and transmission within the EU and propose outbreak response measures.

Risk Assessment: Given the global geographical distribution of JEV, the probability of virus introduction into the EU is currently very low, with viremic bird migration being the most plausible pathway of introduction.

Epidemiology, surveillance and diagnosis of Usutu virus infection in the EU/EEA, 2012 to 2021.

BackgroundUsutu virus (USUV) is a flavivirus with an enzootic cycle between birds and mosquitoes; humans are incidental dead-end hosts. In Europe, the virus was first detected in Italy in 1996; since then, it has spread to many European countries.AimWe aimed to report on the epidemiology, surveillance, diagnosis and prevention of USUV infection in humans, mosquitoes and other animals in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) from 2012 to 2021.

Arthropod-borne diseases among travellers arriving in Europe from Africa, 2015 to 2019.

BackgroundTravellers are generally considered good sentinels for infectious disease surveillance.AimTo investigate whether health data from travellers arriving from Africa to Europe could provide evidence to support surveillance systems in Africa.MethodsWe examined disease occurrence and estimated risk of infection among travellers arriving from Africa to Europe from 2015 to 2019 using surveillance data of arthropod-borne disease cases collected through The European Surveillance System (TESSy) and flight passenger volumes from the International Air Transport Association.

The Effect of Feeding with Central European Local Mulberry Genotypes on the Development and Health Status of Silkworms and Quality Parameters of Raw Silk.

Silkworm rearing activities ceased in the 1970's in several European countries. Attempts on the re-establishment of ecological and sustainable sericulture in Slovenia and Hungary are ongoing. The aim of the study was to assess the usability of locally adapted mulberry genotypes for sericulture and to estimate connections between leaf compound and silkworm performance parameters.

Rapid increase in neuroinvasive West Nile virus infections in humans, Italy, July 2022.

As in 2018, when a large West Nile virus (WNV) epidemic occurred, the 2022 vector season in Italy was marked by an early onset of WNV circulation in mosquitoes and birds. Human infections were limited until early July, when we observed a rapid increase in the number of cases. We describe the epidemiology of human infections and animal and vector surveillance for WNV and compare the more consolidated data of June and July 2022 with the same period in 2018.

Systematic review on the non-vectorial transmission of Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEv).

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an infection caused by the Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEv) and it is common in Europe. The virus is predominantly transmitted by ticks, but other non-vectorial modes of transmission are possible. This systematic review synthesises the epidemiological impact of non-vectorial modes of TBEv transmission in Europe.

Epidemiology of human West Nile virus infections in the European Union and European Union enlargement countries, 2010 to 2018.

BackgroundWest Nile virus (WNV) circulates in an enzootic cycle involving mosquitoes and birds; humans are accidental hosts.AimWe analysed human WNV infections reported between 2010 and 2018 to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control to better understand WNV epidemiology.MethodsWe describe probable and confirmed autochthonous human cases of WNV infection reported by European Union (EU) and EU enlargement countries.

Prevention of human rabies: a challenge for the European Union and the European Economic Area.

Rabies is enzootic in over one hundred countries worldwide. In the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA), the vast majority of human rabies cases are travellers bitten by dogs in rabies-enzootic countries, mostly in Asia and Africa. Thus, EU/EEA travellers visiting rabies enzootic countries should be aware of the risk of being infected with the rabies virus when having physical contact with mammals.

Geographic and host distribution of haemosporidian parasite lineages from birds of the family Turdidae.

Background: Haemosporidians (Apicomplexa, Protista) are obligate heteroxenous parasites of vertebrates and blood-sucking dipteran insects. Avian haemosporidians comprise more than 250 species traditionally classified into four genera, Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon, and Fallisia. However, analyses of the mitochondrial CytB gene revealed a vast variety of lineages not yet linked to morphospecies.

Serum neutralising antibody titres against a lineage 2 neuroinvasive West Nile Virus strain in response to vaccination with an inactivated lineage 1 vaccine in a European endemic area.

In the last decade in Hungary and the neighbouring countries, West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease (WNND) has been caused in dramatically increasing numbers by lineage 2 West Nile Virus (WNV) strains both in horses and in humans. The disease in this geographical region is seasonal, so vaccination of horses should be carefully scheduled to maintain the highest antibody titres during outbreak periods. The objective of this study was to characterise the serum neutralising (SN) antibody titres against a lineage 2 WNV strain in response to vaccination with an inactivated lineage 1 vaccine (Equip® WNV).

Correction to: West Nile virus in Europe: after action reviews of preparedness and response to the 2018 transmission season in Italy, Slovenia, Serbia and Greece.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

West Nile virus in Europe: after action reviews of preparedness and response to the 2018 transmission season in Italy, Slovenia, Serbia and Greece.

Background: After Action Reviews (AAR) with a One Health perspective were performed in Slovenia, Italy, Serbia and Greece following a severe West Nile virus (WNV) transmission season in 2018. A protocol combining traditional techniques and organizational process analysis was developed and then implemented in each country.

Results: In 2018, response to the unusually intense transmission season of WNV in Slovenia, Italy, Serbia and Greece took place through routine response mechanisms.

Multi-Approach Investigation Regarding the West Nile Virus Situation in Hungary, 2018.

The West Nile virus is endemic in multiple European countries and responsible for several epidemics throughout the European region. Its evolution into local or even widespread epidemics is driven by multiple factors from genetic diversification of the virus to environmental conditions. The year of 2018 was characterized by an extraordinary increase in human and animal cases in the Central-Eastern European region, including Hungary.

Phylogenetic Analysis of Lednice .

Lednice virus (LEDV) has been detected in mosquitoes in several European countries within the last six decades. In this study, phylogenetic analyses of the complete genome segments confirm that LEDV belongs to the (, ) species and is closely related to Umbre, Turlock, and Kedah viruses.

Different dynamics of Usutu virus infections in Austria and Hungary, 2017-2018.

Usutu virus (USUV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus closely related to West Nile virus, emerged in Austria in 2001, when it caused a considerable mass-mortality of Eurasian blackbirds. Cases in birds increased until 2003 and quickly declined thereafter, presumably due to developing herd immunity. Since 2006, no further cases were recorded, until two blackbirds were tested positive in 2016.

Extraordinary increase in West Nile virus cases and first confirmed human Usutu virus infection in Hungary, 2018.

BackgroundDuring the 2018 WNV transmission season, similarly to other endemic areas in Europe, a large number of human West Nile virus (WNV) infections were reported in Hungary.AimsWe summarise the epidemiological and laboratory findings of the 2018 transmission season and expand experiences in flavivirus differential diagnostics.MethodsEvery patient with clinical suspicion of acute WNV infection was in parallel tested for WNV, tick-borne encephalitis virus and Usutu virus (USUV) by serological methods.

West Nile virus - a new infection in the Slovak Republic?

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of West Nile virus (WNV) among the variable population of Eastern Slovakia.

Methods: A serologic survey was conducted using 464 serum samples. The basic demographic, epidemiologic and clinical information was obtained for each serum sample at the time of specimen collection.

The complete genome sequence analysis of West Nile virus strains isolated in Slovakia (central Europe).

The present study reports the first complete genome sequence analysis of West Nile virus (WNV) strains isolated from brain samples from raptors. The results prove the circulation of closely related WNV lineage II strains in central Europe and genetic analysis revealed seven amino acid substitutions in structural (PrM, E and E) and in non-structural (NS1, NS5, NS5 and NS5) proteins. Observed amino acid substitutions Phe and Ser were common only within the lineage VII Koutango strain isolated from Rhipicephalus guilhoni tick in Senegal.

Uranotaenia unguiculata Edwards, 1913 are attracted to sound, feed on amphibians, and are infected with multiple viruses.

Background: Uranotaenia unguiculata Edwards, 1913 is a species of mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) native to central Europe. Recently a novel lineage of the West Nile virus (WNV-lineage 4c) was identified in pools of adult female Ur. unguiculata.

Combination therapy of rabies-infected mice with inhibitors of pro-inflammatory host response, antiviral compounds and human rabies immunoglobulin.

Recent studies demonstrated that inhibitors of pro-inflammatory molecular cascades triggered by rabies infection in the central nervous system (CNS) can enhance survival in mouse model and that certain antiviral compounds interfere with rabies virus replication in vitro. In this study different combinations of therapeutics were tested to evaluate their effect on survival in rabies-infected mice, as well as on viral load in the CNS. C57Bl/6 mice were infected with Silver-haired bat rabies virus (SHBRV)-18 at virus dose approaching LD and LD.

Evaluation of in vitro inhibitory potential of type-I interferons and different antiviral compounds on rabies virus replication.

Five different compounds were tested for their in vitro inhibitory effect against RABV multiplication in mouse neuroblastoma (N2A) cell line. N2A cells were infected with the fixed RABV strain CVS-11 one hour prior to adding antivirals or their respective combinations. The infectious titre of RABV as well as the quantity of viral RNA was determined in the cell culturing medium after 48 h.

A Serosurvey of Flavivirus Infection in Horses and Birds in Slovakia.

In central Europe, at least three flaviviruses circulate among vectors and vertebrate hosts. West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are mosquito-borne viruses maintained in the nature by enzootic cycle between mosquitoes and birds. Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a flavivirus causing annual human cases in Slovakia.

Usutu virus infections among blood donors, Austria, July and August 2017 - Raising awareness for diagnostic challenges.

Between July and August 2017, seven of 12,047 blood donations from eastern Austria, reacted positive to West Nile virus (WNV) in the cobas test (Roche). Follow-up investigations revealed Usutu virus (USUV) nucleic acid in six of these. Retrospective analyses of four blood donors diagnosed as WNV-infected in 2016 showed one USUV positive.