Emerg Infect Dis. 2020 Jun;26(6):1182-1191. doi: 10.3201/eid2606.191179.
Alphaviruses from Africa, such as Middelburg virus (MIDV), and Sindbis virus (SINV), were detected in horses with neurologic disease in South Africa, but their host ranges remain unknown. We investigated the contribution of alphaviruses to neurologic infections and death in wildlife and domestic animals in this country. During 2010-2018, a total of 608 clinical samples from wildlife and nonequine domestic animals that had febrile, neurologic signs or unexplained deaths were tested for alphaviruses. We identified 32 (5.5%) of 608 alphavirus infections (9 SINV and 23 MIDV), mostly in neurotissue of wildlife, domestic animals, and birds. Phylogenetic analysis of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene confirmed either SINV or MIDV. This study implicates MIDV and SINV as potential causes of neurologic disease in wildlife and nonequine domestic species in Africa and suggests a wide host range and pathogenic potential.
非洲的甲病毒，如米德尔堡病毒（MIDV）和辛德毕斯病毒（SINV），在南非患有神经系统疾病的马中被检测到，但它们的宿主范围仍不清楚。我们调查了甲病毒在该国野生动物和非马属动物的神经系统感染和死亡中的作用。在 2010 年至 2018 年期间，对 608 份来自野生动物和非马属动物的发热、神经系统症状或不明原因死亡的临床样本进行了甲病毒检测。我们在 608 份样本中发现了 32 份（5.5%）甲病毒感染（9 份 SINV 和 23 份 MIDV），主要存在于野生动物、家畜和鸟类的神经组织中。RNA 依赖性 RNA 聚合酶基因的系统进化分析证实了 SINV 或 MIDV 的存在。本研究表明 MIDV 和 SINV 可能是非洲野生动物和非马属动物神经系统疾病的潜在原因，并提示其宿主范围广泛且具有致病性。
