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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Ital / New incursions of West Nile virus lineage 2 in Italy in 2013...
Veterinaria italiana2013; 49(3); 315-319; doi: 10.12834/VetIt.1308.04

New incursions of West Nile virus lineage 2 in Italy in 2013: the value of the entomological surveillance as early warning system.

Abstract: West Nile virus (WNV) is one of the most serious public health threats that Europe and the Mediterranean countries are currently facing. In Italy, WNV emerged in 1998 and has been circulating since 2008. To tackle its continuous incursions, Italian national and regional institutions set up a surveillance program, which includes the serological screening of sentinel horses, sentinel-chickens and backyard poultry flocks and the surveillance on all equine neurological cases, resident captured and wild dead birds, and vectors. This communication aims to assess the importance of the entomological surveillance program as an early warning system for WNV circulation. In the province of Modena, the circulation of WNV lineage 2 strains was first detected in pools of Culex pipiens on July the 3rd, 42 days prior to the onset of the first 2013 human WNV neuroinvasive case reported in the same province. Similarly in Veneto, WNV was first detected on July 3rd in a pool of Cx. pipiens collected in the province of Venezia. The first human neuroinvasive case in this region occurred in the Rovigo province on July the 24th, seven days after the detection of WNV lineage 2 in a mosquito pool collected in the same province. Up to the end of July 2013, WNV circulation was further detected in several other pools of Cx. pipiens mosquitoes collected in Emilia-Romagna, Veneto and Lombardia. According to the NS3 partial sequence alignments including all recent European and Italian Lineage 2 strains, the new circulating WNV lineage 2 strains share high nt homology with the Hungarian and with the previous lineage 2 strains isolated in Veneto and Sardegna in 2011 and 2012. These data provide a clear and practical demonstration of the relevance of a reliable entomological surveillance program to early detect WNV in Italy.
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Publication Date: 2013-09-05 PubMed ID: 24002939DOI: 10.12834/VetIt.1308.04Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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The research focuses on the effectiveness of the entomological surveillance program in Italy as an early warning system for the circulation of the West Nile Virus (WNV). The study found that the program could detect the presence of the virus in mosquito pools weeks before the occurrence of human cases, indicating its potential to prevent disease spread and outbreaks.

Overview of West Nile Virus, Its Presence in Italy, and Surveillance Measures

  • The West Nile Virus (WNV) is considered a significant public health threat in Europe and the Mediterranean countries. The virus was first detected in Italy in 1998 and has been consistently present since 2008.
  • To control and monitor the spread of the virus, Italian institutions established a surveillance program. This program involves the serological screening of sentinel horses, chickens, backyard poultry flocks, and residents. It also includes monitoring all equine neurological cases, resident captured and wild dead birds, as well as vectors.
  • The coverage and depth of this surveillance program demonstrate the continuous efforts of Italian health institutions to prevent, control, and manage the spread of the WNV.

The Surveillance Program as an Early Warning System

  • The study evaluated the usefulness of the surveillance program in detecting WNV circulation early.
  • In the province of Modena, the surveillance program detected the circulation of WNV lineage 2 strains in pools of Culex pipiens mosquitoes 42 days before the first reported human case in 2013.
  • This pattern was also seen in Veneto, where the virus was detected in mosquito pools 7 days before the first human case. These findings prove the effectiveness of the surveillance program in providing an early warning for the onset of WNV in the human population.

Analysis of WNV Circulation and Genetic Similarities

  • The surveillance further uncovered WNV circulation in several other mosquito pools in Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, and Lombardia by the end of July 2013.
  • Genetic analysis of the new circulating WNV lineage 2 strains revealed high nucleotide homology with the Hungarian strains and previous lineage 2 strains isolated in Veneto and Sardegna in 2011 and 2012. This suggests continuity and possible relatedness of these viral strains.

Implications of the Research

  • The results of the study demonstrate the importance and effectiveness of the entomological surveillance program.
  • By providing early warning of WNV circulation, the program could potentially facilitate swift healthcare responses to prevent disease spread.

Cite This Article

APA
Calzolari M, Monaco F, Montarsi F, Bonilauri P, Ravagnan S, Bellini R, Cattoli G, Cordioli P, Cazzin S, Pinoni C, Marini V, Natalini S, Goffredo M, Angelini P, Russo F, Dottori M, Capell G, Savini G. (2013). New incursions of West Nile virus lineage 2 in Italy in 2013: the value of the entomological surveillance as early warning system. Vet Ital, 49(3), 315-319. https://doi.org/10.12834/VetIt.1308.04

Publication

Veterinaria italiana
ISSN: 1828-1427
NlmUniqueID: 0201543
Country: Italy
Language: English
Volume: 49
Issue: 3
Pages: 315-319

Researcher Affiliations

Calzolari, Mattia
    Monaco, Federica
      Montarsi, Fabrizio
        Bonilauri, Paolo
          Ravagnan, Silvia
            Bellini, Romeo
              Cattoli, Giovanni
                Cordioli, Paolo
                  Cazzin, Stefania
                    Pinoni, Chiara
                      Marini, Valeria
                        Natalini, Silvano
                          Goffredo, Maria
                            Angelini, Paola
                              Russo, Francesca
                                Dottori, Michele
                                  Capell, Gioia
                                    Savini, Giovanni

                                      MeSH Terms

                                      • Animal Distribution
                                      • Animals
                                      • Culex / virology
                                      • Epidemiological Monitoring
                                      • Italy
                                      • West Nile virus / classification
                                      • West Nile virus / genetics
                                      • West Nile virus / isolation & purification

                                      Citations

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