Research Unit UR17ES30 "Genomics, Biotechnology and Antiviral Strategies", Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, University of Monastir, Tahar Hadded Avenue, PB 74, 5000, Monastir, Tunisia.
Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, King Faisal University, PB 400, Post Code 31982, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.
BMC Ecol Evol. 2021 Sep 27;21(1):183. doi: 10.1186/s12862-021-01902-w.
The West Nile virus is a highly contagious agent for a wide range of hosts. Its spread in the Mediterranean region raises several questions about its origin and the risk factors underlying the virus's dispersal.
The present study aims to reconstruct the temporal and spatial phylodynamics of West Nile virus lineage 2 in the Mediterranean region using 75 complete genome sequences from different host species retrieved from international databases.
This data set suggests that current strains of WNV-2 began spreading in South Africa or nearby regions in the early twentieth century, and it migrated northwards via at least one route crossing the Mediterranean to reach Hungary in the early 2000s, before spreading throughout Europe. Another introduction event, according to the data set collected and analyses performed, is inferred to have occurred in around 1978. Migratory birds constitute, among others, additional risk factors that enhance the geographical transmission of the infection.
Our data underline the importance of the spatial-temporal tracking of migratory birds and phylodynamic reconstruction in setting up an efficient surveillance system for emerging and reemerging zoonoses in the Mediterranean region.
西尼罗河病毒是一种对多种宿主具有高度传染性的病原体。它在地中海地区的传播引发了一些关于其起源和病毒传播风险因素的问题。
本研究旨在使用从国际数据库中检索到的来自不同宿主物种的 75 个完整基因组序列，重建地中海地区西尼罗河病毒 2 谱系的时间和空间系统发育动力学。
该数据集表明，当前的 WNV-2 株于 20 世纪初在南非或附近地区开始传播，并通过至少一条穿越地中海的路线向北传播，于 2000 年代初期到达匈牙利，随后传播到整个欧洲。根据收集的数据和进行的分析推断，另一个传入事件发生在大约 1978 年。候鸟是增加感染地理传播的其他风险因素之一。
我们的数据强调了跟踪候鸟的时空动态和系统发育重建对于在地中海地区建立有效的新兴和再现人畜共患病监测系统的重要性。
