Clinic for Birds and Reptiles, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
Avian Pathol. 2021 Oct;50(5):427-435. doi: 10.1080/03079457.2021.1962003. Epub 2021 Oct 6.
The mosquito-borne flavivirus Usutu virus (USUV) is responsible for countless deaths in both resident populations and birds kept in outdoor aviaries. Since 2001, USUV outbreaks have attracted increased attention due to the rapid geographical spread of the virus and its close relationship to West Nile virus (WNV), an emerging pathogen in humans and animals. Similar to WNV, the USUV enzootic transmission cycle predominantly involves spp. as vectors, whereas birds serve as amplifying reservoir hosts. In Europe, USUV-associated disease outbreaks in birds are almost exclusively described during late spring and early autumn (early April to late October). Contagiousness of virus particles excreted by infected birds has not yet been proven, so that the role of non-vector-borne transmission, as it is known for the closely related WNV, remains unclear. Here we report the diagnosis of USUV infection in 15 of 24 birds from mortality outbreaks that occurred during the cold season between late October 2018 and early April 2019, in eight different aviaries located in Germany. Detection of USUV was performed using standardized molecular biological methods and immunohistochemistry for verification of the infection. USUV infection in a parrot species, a tropical finch and two estrildid finches are reported for the first time. Further research on the occurrence of USUV infection during the cold season is key to understanding the dynamics of viral transmission as well as for a profound health risk assessment for aviary birds as well as humans.
蚊媒传播的黄病毒乌苏图病毒（USUV）是造成居民和户外鸟舍中饲养鸟类大量死亡的元凶。自 2001 年以来，由于该病毒的快速地理传播及其与西尼罗河病毒（WNV）的密切关系，WNV 是人类和动物中新出现的病原体，USUV 爆发引起了更多的关注。与 WNV 相似，USUV 的地方性传播循环主要涉及 作为媒介，而鸟类则作为扩增储存宿主。在欧洲，鸟类中与 USUV 相关的疾病爆发几乎仅在春末和初秋（4 月初至 10 月底）描述。尚未证明感染鸟类排泄的病毒颗粒具有传染性，因此，与密切相关的 WNV 一样，非媒介传播的作用仍不清楚。在这里，我们报告了在德国 8 个不同鸟舍中，2018 年 10 月底至 2019 年 4 月初寒冷季节期间发生的 24 只死亡鸟类中有 15 只发生 USUV 感染的诊断情况。使用标准化的分子生物学方法和免疫组织化学法检测 USUV 的存在，以验证感染情况。首次报道了鹦鹉、热带雀和两种 Estrildid finch 中 USUV 感染的情况。进一步研究寒冷季节 USUV 感染的发生情况，对于了解病毒传播动力学以及对鸟舍鸟类和人类的健康风险评估至关重要。
