Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, PO Box 20537, Nicosia, 1678, Cyprus.
Veterinary Services of Cyprus, 1417, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Acta Trop. 2022 Jul;231:106470. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106470. Epub 2022 Apr 14.
West Nile virus (WNV) infections have increased over recent years to the extent that WNV has become one of the most widespread arboviruses in the world, with potential consequences for both human and animal health. While much is known about WNV and the vectors that transmit it from their primary hosts across continental Europe, little is known about the epidemiology of the disease on the island of Cyprus. In this study, the aim was to investigate the prevalence of WNV infection in potential mosquito vectors for the first time in the Republic of Cyprus, using WNV surveillance of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes were collected in 2019, during which an outbreak in humans had occurred, and sampled mosquitoes were then examined for WNV infection by testing them for the presence of WNV RNA. Of 126 mosquito pools tested, one pool, containing Culex pipiens mosquitoes sampled from the Nicosia district, was found to be positive for the presence of WNV RNA. The positive pool found in this study represents the first demonstration of WNV in mosquitoes in Cyprus and confirms that human cases in Cyprus are likely the result of transmission via local Culex mosquitoes.
西尼罗河病毒（WNV）感染近年来有所增加，以至于 WNV 已成为世界上分布最广泛的虫媒病毒之一，对人类和动物健康都有潜在影响。虽然人们对 WNV 及其在欧洲大陆从主要宿主传播的媒介有了很多了解，但对塞浦路斯岛该病的流行病学了解甚少。在这项研究中，目的是首次使用蚊子监测来调查塞浦路斯共和国潜在蚊子传播媒介中 WNV 感染的流行情况。2019 年采集了蚊子，当时发生了人类疫情，对采集的蚊子进行了 WNV 感染检测，方法是检测它们是否存在 WNV RNA。在 126 个蚊子池中，有一个含有从尼科西亚区采集的库蚊的蚊子池，检测到 WNV RNA 呈阳性。本研究中发现的阳性池是塞浦路斯首次在蚊子中发现 WNV 的证明，证实了塞浦路斯的人类病例很可能是通过当地库蚊传播的结果。
