Publication details
The common coot as sentinel species for the presence of West Nile and Usutu flaviviruses in Central Europe
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2015 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | RESEARCH IN VETERINARY SCIENCE |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2015.08.002 |
| Field | Microbiology, virology |
| Keywords | West Nile virus; Usutu virus; Common coot; Fulica atra; Surveillance; Mosquito-borne viruses; Culex spp. |
| Description | We examined 146 common coots (Fulica atra) on fishponds in central Moravia, Czech Republic, for antibodies to West Nile (WNV) and Usutu (USUV) flaviviruses. Eighteen birds reacted in the plaque-reduction neutralization test against WNV; these WNV seropositive samples were then titrated in parallel against USUV and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) to exclude flavivirus cross-reactivity. Two birds (1.4% overall) had the highest titers against WNV while 9 birds (6.2% overall) were seropositive for USUV, and in 7 birds the infecting flavivirus could not be differentiated with certainty. Our results indicate that both WNV and USUV infections occur in common coots; these birds might serve as a 'sentinel' species indicating the presence of these viruses at fishpond and wetland habitats in Central Europe. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |