Publikationsdatenbank

West Nile Virus epidemic in Germany triggered by epizootic emergence, 2019 (2020)

Art

Zeitschriftenartikel / wissenschaftlicher Beitrag

Autoren

Ziegler, Ute

Santos, Pauline Dianne

Groschup, Martin H.

Hattendorf, Carolin

Eiden, Martin

Höper, Dirk

Eisermann, Philip

Keller, Markus

Michel, Friederike

Klopfleisch, Robert (WE 12)

Müller, Kerstin (WE 20)

Werner, Doreen

Kampen, Helge

Beer, Martin

Frank, Christina

Lachmann, Raskit

Tews, Birke Andrea

Wylezich, Claudia

Rinder, Monika

Lachmann, Lars

Grünewald, Thomas

Szentiks, Claudia A.

Sieg, Michael

Schmidt-Chanasit, Jonas

Cadar, Daniel

Lühken, Renke

Quelle

Viruses

Bandzählung: 12

Heftzählung: 4

Seiten: 448

ISSN: 1999-4915

Sprache

Englisch

Verweise

URL (Volltext): https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/12/4/448

DOI: 10.3390/v12040448

Pubmed: 32326472

Kontakt

Institut für Tierpathologie

Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 15
14163 Berlin
+49 30 838 62450
pathologie@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

One year after the first autochthonous transmission of West Nile virus (WNV) to birds and horses in Germany, an epizootic emergence of WNV was again observed in 2019. The number of infected birds and horses was considerably higher compared to 2018 (12 birds, two horses), resulting in the observation of the first WNV epidemy in Germany: 76 cases in birds, 36 in horses and five confirmed mosquito-borne, autochthonous human cases. We demonstrated that Germany experienced several WNV introduction events and that strains of a distinct group (Eastern German WNV clade), which was introduced to Germany as a single introduction event, dominated mosquito, birds, horse and human-related virus variants in 2018 and 2019. Virus strains in this clade are characterized by a specific-Lys2114Arg mutation, which might lead to an increase in viral fitness. Extraordinary high temperatures in 2018/2019 allowed a low extrinsic incubation period (EIP), which drove the epizootic emergence and, in the end, most likely triggered the 2019 epidemic. Spatiotemporal EIP values correlated with the geographical WNV incidence. This study highlights the risk of a further spread in Germany in the next years with additional human WNV infections. Thus, surveillance of birds is essential to provide an early epidemic warning and thus, initiate targeted control measures.