[Usutu virus: a novel flavivirus in Croatia].

The research paper discusses the presence and potential effects of the Usutu virus (USUV) in Croatia, a flavivirus first found in South Africa in 1959 and known to cause significant bird fatalities.

The Usutu virus (USUV)

• The Usutu virus (USUV) is part of the Flaviviridae family, specifically the genus Flavivirus, which falls under the Japanese encephalitis serocomplex.
• The virus was first discovered in 1959 in South Africa and has since caused epizootics in Europe, resulting in significant bird mortality.
• The full impact of this virus on human health is not yet known, but documented human infection cases highlight its anthropozoonotic nature. That is, the virus can infect humans via animal transmission.

USUV in Croatia

• For the first time in Croatia, serologic evidence of the USUV was documented in 2011 in two horses from Zagreb and Sisak-Moslavina County.
• In the following year, USUV neutralizing antibodies were found in a human sample from a resident of Vukovar-Srijem County, marking the first identification of the virus in a human in Croatia.
• Initial human clinical cases of USUV infection in Croatia came to light during an outbreak of the West Nile virus from July to September 2013.
• Three patients were diagnosed with the neuroinvasive form of the USUV infection in the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County, confirming human infection in the area.

Conclusions and Further Work

• The results of the research affirm the presence and circulation of USUV in Croatia.
• The occurrence of further human cases is anticipated in the subsequent virus transmission seasons, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring and research into this virus in the region.