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Detection of Infectious Virus from Field-collected Mosquitoes by Vero Cell Culture Assay
Published on: June 9, 2011
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West Nile Virus in Slovenia
Nataša Knap1, Miša Korva1, Vladimir Ivović2
1Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Viruses
|July 9, 2020
Summary
West Nile virus (WNV) circulates in Slovenia, confirmed by mosquito and human cases since 2013. Recent studies detected WNV in mosquitoes and patients, with genomic sequencing suggesting a northern origin for the virus.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Epidemiology
- Virology
Background:
- West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus with birds as reservoirs and humans/mammals as dead-end hosts.
- WNV infections in humans range from asymptomatic to severe neuroinvasive disease (WNND).
- Previous serosurveys indicated WNV circulation in Slovenia since 1995, but human cases were only confirmed from 2013 onwards.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the current circulation of West Nile virus in Slovenia.
- To characterize WNV strains detected in Slovenia through genomic sequencing.
- To assess WNV presence in mosquito vectors and sentinel animal populations.
Main Methods:
- Mosquitoes were sampled across Slovenia from 2017-2019.
- Human cases of WNND were diagnosed using laboratory tests, including antibody detection in cerebrospinal fluid and WNV RNA in urine.
- Dog sera were analyzed for WNV-specific IgG antibodies, and WNV isolates underwent whole-genome sequencing.
Main Results:
- WNV was detected in a pool of *Culex* sp. mosquitoes in 2018, with successful virus isolation and genome sequencing.
- WNV RNA and IgM antibodies were detected in a WNND patient in 2018; whole-genome sequencing was performed on the urine sample.
- Genomic sequences of WNV from a Slovenian patient and mosquito clustered with Austrian and Hungarian strains, suggesting a northern origin.
- WNV-specific IgG antibodies were found in 1.8% (2017) and 4.3% (2018) of dog sera samples.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms ongoing circulation of West Nile virus in Slovenia.
- Genomic data suggests the WNV strain in Slovenia likely originated from neighboring northern countries.
- WNV poses a continuous public health concern, necessitating ongoing surveillance in Slovenia.
