FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Parasit Vectors / Molecular characterization of the re-emerging West Nile viru...
Parasites & vectors2020; 13(1); 528; doi: 10.1186/s13071-020-04399-2

Molecular characterization of the re-emerging West Nile virus in avian species and equids in Israel, 2018, and pathological description of the disease.

Abstract: In this report we describe the molecular and pathological characteristics of West Nile virus (WNV) infection that occurred during the summer and fall of 2018 in avian species and equines. WNV is reported in Israel since the 1950s, with occasional outbreaks leading to significant morbidity and mortality in birds, high infection in horses and humans, and sporadic fatalities in humans. Methods: Animal and avian carcasses in a suitable condition were examined by post-mortem analysis. Tissue samples were examined for WNV by RT-qPCR and the viral load was quantified. Samples with sufficient material quality were further analyzed by Endpoint PCR and sequencing, which was used for phylogenetic analysis. Tissue samples from positive animals were used for culturing the virus in Vero and C6/36 cells. Results: WNV RNA was detected in one yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis), two long-eared owls (Asio otus), two domesticated geese (Anser anser), one pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), four hooded crows (Corvus cornix), three horses and one donkey. Pathological and histopathological findings were characteristic of viral infection. Molecular analysis and viral load quantification showed varying degrees of infection, ranging between 70-1.4 × 10 target copies per sample. Phylogenetic analysis of a 906-bp genomic segment showed that all samples belonged to Lineage 1 clade 1a, with the following partition: five samples from 2018 and one sample detected in 2016 were of Cluster 2 Eastern European, two of Cluster 2 Mediterranean and four of Cluster 4. Four of the positive samples was successfully propagated in C6/36 and Vero cell lines for further work. Conclusions: WNV is constantly circulating in wild and domesticated birds and animals in Israel, necessitating constant surveillance in birds and equines. At least three WNV strains were circulating in the suspected birds and animals examined. Quantitative analysis showed that the viral load varies significantly between different organs and tissues of the infected animals.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2020-10-22 PubMed ID: 33092614PubMed Central: PMC7579921DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04399-2Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article presents a detailed study of the molecular and pathological characteristics associated with West Nile virus (WNV) infection in birds and equines in Israel during the summer and fall of 2018.

Research Methodology

  • The researchers examined avian and animal carcasses that were in suitable condition for post-mortem analysis.
  • Tissue samples extracted from these carcasses were tested for presence of WNV using RT-qPCR method.
  • The viral load in the tissue samples, if any, was quantified.
  • Further, Endpoint PCR and sequencing was done on samples that had sufficient material quality. The results were used for conducting a phylogenetic analysis.
  • Tissue samples from animals testing positive for WNV were used for culturing the virus in Vero and C6/36 cells.

Research Results

  • WNV RNA was detected in various avian species including one yellow-legged gull, two long-eared owls, two domesticated geese, one pheasant, and four hooded crows. Additionally, the virus was found in three horses and one donkey.
  • The pathological and histopathological findings from the study were characteristic of a viral infection.
  • The molecular analysis and quantification showed varying degrees of infection, ranging from 70 to 1.4 × 10 target copies per sample.
  • The phylogenetic analysis suggested that all the samples belonged to Lineage 1 clade 1a. The partition included five samples from 2018 and one sample from 2016 that were part of the Cluster 2 Eastern European group, two from the Cluster 2 Mediterranean group, and four from Cluster 4.
  • Four successful virus cultures were produced in C6/36 and Vero cell lines from the samples that tested positive.

Research Conclusions

  • The findings infer that the West Nile virus is constantly circulating in wild and domesticated birds and animals in Israel, leading to the conclusion that constant surveillance in birds and equines is necessary.
  • At least three different strains of WNV were found to be circulating in the birds and animals that were suspected and examined.
  • Quantitative analysis showed significant variation in the viral load between different organs and tissues of infected animals.

Cite This Article

APA
Schvartz G, Farnoushi Y, Berkowitz A, Edery N, Hahn S, Steinman A, Lublin A, Erster O. (2020). Molecular characterization of the re-emerging West Nile virus in avian species and equids in Israel, 2018, and pathological description of the disease. Parasit Vectors, 13(1), 528. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-04399-2

Publication

Parasites & vectors
ISSN: 1756-3305
NlmUniqueID: 101462774
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 1
Pages: 528
PII: 528

Researcher Affiliations

Schvartz, Gili
  • Division of Virology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel.
  • Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel.
Farnoushi, Yigal
  • Division of Avian diseases, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel.
Berkowitz, Asaf
  • Division of Avian diseases, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel.
Edery, Nir
  • Division of Pathology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel.
Hahn, Shelly
  • Division of Pathology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel.
Steinman, Amir
  • Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel.
Lublin, Avishai
  • Division of Avian diseases, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel. AvishaiL@moag.gov.il.
Erster, Oran
  • Division of Virology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel. oran.erster@sheba.health.gov.il.
  • Central Virology Laboratory, Israel Ministry of Health, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel. oran.erster@sheba.health.gov.il.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Wild / virology
  • Autopsy
  • Birds / virology
  • Charadriiformes / virology
  • Crows / virology
  • Equidae / virology
  • Geese / virology
  • Genes, Viral
  • Horses / virology
  • Israel / epidemiology
  • Livestock / virology
  • Phylogeny
  • Viral Load
  • West Nile Fever / pathology
  • West Nile Fever / transmission
  • West Nile Fever / veterinary
  • West Nile virus / genetics
  • West Nile virus / isolation & purification

Grant Funding

  • 33-04-0002 / Israli Ministry of Agriculture

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

References

This article includes 34 references
  1. Donadieu E, Bahuon C, Lowenski S, Zientara S, Coulpier M, Lecollinet S. Differential virulence and pathogenesis of West Nile viruses.. Viruses 2013 Nov 22;5(11):2856-80.
    pmc: PMC3856419pubmed: 24284878doi: 10.3390/v5112856google scholar: lookup
  2. Kopel E, Amitai Z, Bin H, Shulman LM, Mendelson E, Sheffer R. Surveillance of West Nile virus disease, Tel Aviv district, Israel, 2005 to 2010.. Euro Surveill 2011 Jun 23;16(25).
    pubmed: 21722612
  3. Lustig Y, Hindiyeh M, Orshan L, Weiss L, Koren R, Katz-Likvornik S, Zadka H, Glatman-Freedman A, Mendelson E, Shulman LM. Mosquito Surveillance for 15 Years Reveals High Genetic Diversity Among West Nile Viruses in Israel.. J Infect Dis 2016 Apr 1;213(7):1107-14.
    pubmed: 26597260doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiv556google scholar: lookup
  4. Marra PP, Griffing S, Carolee Caffrey A, Kilpatrick M, Mclean R, Brand C. West Nile virus and wildlife. Bioscience 2004;54:393–402.
  5. CDC. West Nile Virus Activity—United States, 2007; 2008. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5726a2.html.
  6. Calistri P, Giovannini A, Hubalek Z, Ionescu A, Monaco F, Savini G, Lelli R. Epidemiology of west nile in europe and in the mediterranean basin.. Open Virol J 2010 Apr 22;4:29-37.
    pmc: PMC2878979pubmed: 20517490doi: 10.2174/1874357901004020029google scholar: lookup
  7. Komar O, Robbins MB, Klenk K, Blitvich BJ, Marlenee NL, Burkhalter KL, Gubler DJ, Gonzálvez G, Peña CJ, Peterson AT, Komar N. West Nile virus transmission in resident birds, Dominican Republic.. Emerg Infect Dis 2003 Oct;9(10):1299-302.
    pmc: PMC3033087pubmed: 14609467doi: 10.3201/eid0910.030222google scholar: lookup
  8. Steinman A, Banet C, Sutton GA, Yadin H, Hadar S, Brill A. Clinical signs of West Nile virus encephalomyelitis in horses during the outbreak in Israel in 2000.. Vet Rec 2002 Jul 13;151(2):47-9.
    pubmed: 12148602doi: 10.1136/vr.151.2.47google scholar: lookup
  9. Pérez-Ramírez E, Llorente F, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ. Experimental infections of wild birds with West Nile virus.. Viruses 2014 Feb 13;6(2):752-81.
    pmc: PMC3939481pubmed: 24531334doi: 10.3390/v6020752google scholar: lookup
  10. Aharonson-Raz K, Lichter-Peled A, Tal S, Gelman B, Cohen D, Klement E, Steinman A. Spatial and temporal distribution of West Nile virus in horses in Israel (1997-2013)--from endemic to epidemics.. PLoS One 2014;9(11):e113149.
    pmc: PMC4234662pubmed: 25402217doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113149google scholar: lookup
  11. BERNKOPF H, LEVINE S, NERSON R. Isolation of West Nile virus in Israel.. J Infect Dis 1953 Nov-Dec;93(3):207-18.
    pubmed: 13109233doi: 10.1093/infdis/93.3.207google scholar: lookup
  12. Chowers MY, Lang R, Nassar F, Ben-David D, Giladi M, Rubinshtein E, Itzhaki A, Mishal J, Siegman-Igra Y, Kitzes R, Pick N, Landau Z, Wolf D, Bin H, Mendelson E, Pitlik SD, Weinberger M. Clinical characteristics of the West Nile fever outbreak, Israel, 2000.. Emerg Infect Dis 2001 Jul-Aug;7(4):675-8.
    pmc: PMC2631759pubmed: 11585531doi: 10.3201/eid0704.010414google scholar: lookup
  13. Hindiyeh M, Shulman LM, Mendelson E, Weiss L, Grossman Z, Bin H. Isolation and characterization of West Nile virus from the blood of viremic patients during the 2000 outbreak in Israel.. Emerg Infect Dis 2001 Jul-Aug;7(4):748-50.
    pmc: PMC2631769pubmed: 11585544doi: 10.3201/eid0704.010428google scholar: lookup
  14. Nash D, Mostashari F, Fine A, Miller J, O'Leary D, Murray K, Huang A, Rosenberg A, Greenberg A, Sherman M, Wong S, Layton M. The outbreak of West Nile virus infection in the New York City area in 1999.. N Engl J Med 2001 Jun 14;344(24):1807-14.
    pubmed: 11407341doi: 10.1056/nejm200106143442401google scholar: lookup
  15. Anderson JF, Andreadis TG, Vossbrinck CR, Tirrell S, Wakem EM, French RA, Garmendia AE, Van Kruiningen HJ. Isolation of West Nile virus from mosquitoes, crows, and a Cooper's hawk in Connecticut.. Science 1999 Dec 17;286(5448):2331-3.
    pubmed: 10600741doi: 10.1126/science.286.5448.2331google scholar: lookup
  16. Lanciotti RS, Roehrig JT, Deubel V, Smith J, Parker M, Steele K, Crise B, Volpe KE, Crabtree MB, Scherret JH, Hall RA, MacKenzie JS, Cropp CB, Panigrahy B, Ostlund E, Schmitt B, Malkinson M, Banet C, Weissman J, Komar N, Savage HM, Stone W, McNamara T, Gubler DJ. Origin of the West Nile virus responsible for an outbreak of encephalitis in the northeastern United States.. Science 1999 Dec 17;286(5448):2333-7.
    pubmed: 10600742doi: 10.1126/science.286.5448.2333google scholar: lookup
  17. Komar N, Langevin S, Hinten S, Nemeth N, Edwards E, Hettler D, Davis B, Bowen R, Bunning M. Experimental infection of North American birds with the New York 1999 strain of West Nile virus.. Emerg Infect Dis 2003 Mar;9(3):311-22.
    pmc: PMC2958552pubmed: 12643825doi: 10.3201/eid0903.020628google scholar: lookup
  18. Banet-Noach C, Malkinson M, Brill A, Samina I, Yadin H, Weisman Y, Pokamunski S, King R, Deubel V, Stram Y. Phylogenetic relationships of West Nile viruses isolated from birds and horses in Israel from 1997 to 2001.. Virus Genes 2003;26(2):135-41.
    pubmed: 12803465doi: 10.1023/a:1023431328933google scholar: lookup
  19. Orshan L, Bin H, Schnur H, Kaufman A, Valinsky A, Shulman L, Weiss L, Mendelson E, Pener H. Mosquito vectors of West Nile Fever in Israel.. J Med Entomol 2008 Sep;45(5):939-47.
    pubmed: 18826039doi: 10.1603/0022-2585(2008)45[939:mvownf]2.0.co;2google scholar: lookup
  20. Bassal R, Shohat T, Kaufman Z, Mannasse B, Shinar E, Amichay D, Barak M, Ben-Dor A, Bar Haim A, Cohen D, Mendelson E, Lustig Y. The seroprevalence of West Nile Virus in Israel: A nationwide cross sectional study.. PLoS One 2017;12(6):e0179774.
    pmc: PMC5473576pubmed: 28622360doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179774google scholar: lookup
  21. Lustig Y, Mannasse B, Koren R, Katz-Likvornik S, Hindiyeh M, Mandelboim M, Dovrat S, Sofer D, Mendelson E. Superiority of West Nile Virus RNA Detection in Whole Blood for Diagnosis of Acute Infection.. J Clin Microbiol 2016 Sep;54(9):2294-7.
    pmc: PMC5005505pubmed: 27335150doi: 10.1128/jcm.01283-16google scholar: lookup
  22. Savage HM, Ceianu C, Nicolescu G, Karabatsos N, Lanciotti R, Vladimirescu A, Laiv L, Ungureanu A, Romanca C, Tsai TF. Entomologic and avian investigations of an epidemic of West Nile fever in Romania in 1996, with serologic and molecular characterization of a virus isolate from mosquitoes.. Am J Trop Med Hyg 1999 Oct;61(4):600-11.
    pubmed: 10548295doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1999.61.600google scholar: lookup
  23. Johnson DJ, Ostlund EN, Pedersen DD, Schmitt BJ. Detection of North American West Nile virus in animal tissue by a reverse transcription-nested polymerase chain reaction assay.. Emerg Infect Dis 2001 Jul-Aug;7(4):739-41.
    pmc: PMC2631755pubmed: 11585541doi: 10.3201/eid0704.010425google scholar: lookup
  24. Eiden M, Vina-Rodriguez A, Hoffmann B, Ziegler U, Groschup MH. Two new real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays with unique target sites for the specific and sensitive detection of lineages 1 and 2 West Nile virus strains.. J Vet Diagn Invest 2010 Sep;22(5):748-53.
    pubmed: 20807934doi: 10.1177/104063871002200515google scholar: lookup
  25. Lustig Y, Kaufman Z, Mannasse B, Koren R, Katz-Likvornik S, Orshan L, Glatman-Freedman A, Mendelson E. West Nile virus outbreak in Israel in 2015: phylogenetic and geographic characterization in humans and mosquitoes.. Clin Microbiol Infect 2017 Dec;23(12):986-993.
    pubmed: 28487165doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2017.04.023google scholar: lookup
  26. Azmi K, Tirosh-Levy S, Manasrah M, Mizrahi R, Nasereddin A, Al-Jawabreh A, Ereqat S, Abdeen Z, Lustig Y, Gelman B, Schvartz G, Steinman A. West Nile Virus: Seroprevalence in Animals in Palestine and Israel.. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2017 Aug;17(8):558-566.
    pubmed: 28628400doi: 10.1089/vbz.2016.2090google scholar: lookup
  27. Kumar S, Stecher G, Li M, Knyaz C, Tamura K. MEGA X: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis across Computing Platforms.. Mol Biol Evol 2018 Jun 1;35(6):1547-1549.
    pmc: PMC5967553pubmed: 29722887doi: 10.1093/molbev/msy096google scholar: lookup
  28. Malkinson M, Banet C, Weisman Y, Pokamunski S, King R, Drouet MT, Deubel V. Introduction of West Nile virus in the Middle East by migrating white storks.. Emerg Infect Dis 2002 Apr;8(4):392-7.
    pmc: PMC2730252pubmed: 11971773doi: 10.3201/eid0804.010217google scholar: lookup
  29. Sandhu TS, Sidhu DS, Dhillon MS. Antigenic distribution of west nile virus in various organs of wildly infected american crows (corvus brachyrhynchos).. J Glob Infect Dis 2011 Apr;3(2):138-42.
    pmc: PMC3125026pubmed: 21731300doi: 10.4103/0974-777x.81690google scholar: lookup
  30. Tolsá MJ, García-Peña GE, Rico-Chávez O, Roche B, Suzán G. Macroecology of birds potentially susceptible to West Nile virus.. Proc Biol Sci 2018 Dec 19;285(1893):20182178.
    pmc: PMC6304048pubmed: 30963915doi: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2178google scholar: lookup
  31. Nir Y, Lasowski Y, Avivi A, Cgoldwasser R. Survey for antibodies to arboviruses in the serum of various animals in Israel during 1965-1966.. Am J Trop Med Hyg 1969 May;18(3):416-22.
    pubmed: 4889830doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1969.18.416google scholar: lookup
  32. Lesteberg KE, Beckham JD. Immunology of West Nile Virus Infection and the Role of Alpha-Synuclein as a Viral Restriction Factor.. Viral Immunol 2019 Jan Feb;32(1):38-47.
    pubmed: 30222521doi: 10.1089/vim.2018.0075google scholar: lookup
  33. Gamino V, Höfle U. Pathology and tissue tropism of natural West Nile virus infection in birds: a review.. Vet Res 2013 Jun 3;44(1):39.
    pmc: PMC3686667pubmed: 23731695doi: 10.1186/1297-9716-44-39google scholar: lookup
  34. Lustig Y, Gosinov R, Zuckerman N, Glazer Y, Orshan L, Sofer D, Schwartz E, Schvartz G, Farnoushi Y, Lublin A, Erster O, Shalom U, Yeger T, Mor O, Anis E, Mendelson E. Epidemiologic and phylogenetic analysis of the 2018 West Nile virus (WNV) outbreak in Israel demonstrates human infection of WNV lineage I.. Euro Surveill 2019 Jan;24(1).
    pmc: PMC6325669pubmed: 30621816doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2019.24.1.1800662google scholar: lookup

Citations

This article has been cited 8 times.
  1. Niczyporuk JS, Kozdrun W, Czujkowska A, Blanchard Y, Helle M, Dheilly NM, Gonzalez G. West Nile Virus Lineage 2 in Free-Living Corvus cornix Birds in Poland. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023 Aug 16;8(8).
    doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed8080417pubmed: 37624355google scholar: lookup
  2. Schvartz G, Karniely S, Azar R, Kabat A, Steinman A, Erster O. Detection and Analysis of West Nile Virus Structural Protein Genes in Animal or Bird Samples. Methods Mol Biol 2023;2585:127-143.
    doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2760-0_13pubmed: 36331771google scholar: lookup
  3. Reemtsma H, Holicki CM, Fast C, Bergmann F, Eiden M, Groschup MH, Ziegler U. Pathogenesis of West Nile Virus Lineage 2 in Domestic Geese after Experimental Infection. Viruses 2022 Jun 16;14(6).
    doi: 10.3390/v14061319pubmed: 35746790google scholar: lookup
  4. Mencattelli G, Iapaolo F, Monaco F, Fusco G, de Martinis C, Portanti O, Di Gennaro A, Curini V, Polci A, Berjaoui S, Di Felice E, Rosà R, Rizzoli A, Savini G. West Nile Virus Lineage 1 in Italy: Newly Introduced or a Re-Occurrence of a Previously Circulating Strain?. Viruses 2021 Dec 30;14(1).
    doi: 10.3390/v14010064pubmed: 35062268google scholar: lookup
  5. Schvartz G, Tirosh-Levy S, Bider S, Lublin A, Farnoushi Y, Erster O, Steinman A. West Nile Virus in Common Wild Avian Species in Israel. Pathogens 2022 Jan 17;11(1).
    doi: 10.3390/pathogens11010107pubmed: 35056055google scholar: lookup
  6. Humphreys JM, Pelzel-McCluskey AM, Cohnstaedt LW, McGregor BL, Hanley KA, Hudson AR, Young KI, Peck D, Rodriguez LL, Peters DPC. Integrating Spatiotemporal Epidemiology, Eco-Phylogenetics, and Distributional Ecology to Assess West Nile Disease Risk in Horses. Viruses 2021 Sep 12;13(9).
    doi: 10.3390/v13091811pubmed: 34578392google scholar: lookup
  7. Tirosh-Levy S, Steinman A, Minderigiu A, Arieli O, Savitski I, Fleiderovitz L, Edery N, Schvartz G, Mazuz ML. High Exposure to Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora Spp. in Donkeys in Israel: Serological Survey and Case Reports. Animals (Basel) 2020 Oct 19;10(10).
    doi: 10.3390/ani10101921pubmed: 33086723google scholar: lookup
  8. Busquets N, Gardela J, José-Cunilleras E, Solé A, Salvador MJ, Obón E, Molina-López R, Aranda C, Montalvo T, Corbella I, Bou-Monclús MA, Martínez MJ, Vázquez A, Piron M, Sauleda S, Pailler-García L, Napp S. West Nile virus transmission in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (Spain): A One-Health surveillance approach. One Health 2025 Dec;21:101150.
    doi: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2025.101150pubmed: 40746420google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,357 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.