Chvala S, Bakonyi T, Bukovsky C, Meister T, Brugger K, Rubel F, Nowotny N, Weissenböck H
Department of Pathobiology, Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna, Austria.
Vet Microbiol. 2007 Jun 21;122(3-4):237-45. doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2007.01.029. Epub 2007 Feb 11.
Usutu virus has been causing avian mortality in Austria since its emergence in 2001. Between 2003 and 2005 a total of 504 dead birds were examined by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry for the presence of Usutu virus nucleic acid and antigen, respectively. In 2003, 92 birds (out of 177 birds) belonging to five different species were positive, while in 2004, only 11 (of 224) birds, and in 2005, 4 (of 103) birds proved positive, all of which were blackbirds (Turdus merula). Within the surveillance period the virus had spread from its initial area of emergence and circulation, the surroundings of Vienna, to large areas of the federal states of Lower Austria, Burgenland and Styria. However, the absolute numbers of Usutu virus associated avian deaths declined significantly during the course of the years. In addition, the proportion of birds with low amounts of virus in their tissues increased continuously, which may indicate developing herd immunity.
自2001年出现以来，乌苏图病毒一直在奥地利导致禽类死亡。在2003年至2005年期间，总共对504只死鸟分别进行了逆转录酶聚合酶链反应和免疫组织化学检测，以确定是否存在乌苏图病毒核酸和抗原。2003年，属于五个不同物种的92只鸟（共177只鸟）呈阳性，而2004年，只有11只（共224只）鸟呈阳性，2005年，4只（共103只）鸟呈阳性，所有这些鸟均为乌鸫。在监测期内，该病毒已从其最初出现和传播的地区维也纳周边地区，扩散到下奥地利州、布尔根兰州和施蒂利亚州等联邦州的大片地区。然而，多年来与乌苏图病毒相关的禽类死亡绝对数量显著下降。此外，组织中病毒含量低的鸟类比例持续增加，这可能表明正在形成群体免疫。
