Freick Markus, Vogt Isabelle, Schröter Stephanie, Kohl Robert, Heidl Denise, Schreiter Ruben, Sprong Hein, Jentzsch Matthias
Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany.
Faculty of Agriculture/Environment/Chemistry, HTW Dresden-University of Applied Sciences, Dresden, Germany.
Parasit Vectors. 2025 Jun 1;18(1):200. doi: 10.1186/s13071-025-06841-9.
As living vectors, arthropods play a crucial role in the transmission of viruses, bacteria and parasites. Previous research on virus transmission has focussed mainly on the roles of mosquitoes and ticks, while the potential importance of other blood-sucking arthropods such as louse flies (Hippoboscidae) has been somewhat neglected. The aim of this study was to detect viruses in avian louse flies from Germany to assess whether they could be used as sentinel organisms for monitoring arboviruses with zoonotic potential.
We collected 1000 louse flies of the species Crataerina hirundinis, C. pallida, Ornithomya avicularia, O. biloba, O. fringillina, O. chloropus, Ornithophila metallica and Pseudolynchia canariensis in Germany and screened the samples via RT-PCR for West Nile virus (WNV), Usutu virus (USUV) and Sindbis virus (SINV), which are arboviruses with avian hosts as reservoirs.
While WNV was not detected, we found one louse fly positive for USUV and one for SINV RNA, both of which belonged to the species O. avicularia (n = 279). Therefore, the detection rates for both USUV and SINV were 0.1% (95% CI 0.0-0.3%) in the total sample and 0.36% (95% CI 0.00-1.09%) in O. avicularia. For the sample that tested positive for SINV, the PCR results were confirmed by sequencing a 288-bp segment that encoded part of the virus's structural polyprotein.
This is the first time that USUV RNA and SINV RNA have been detected in louse flies. In addition, it is the first detection of human pathogenic viruses in the louse fly species O. avicularia. The results of this study indicate that louse flies should not be neglected as possible sentinels of viral pathogens with zoonotic potential in the sense of the One Health concept.
作为活体传播媒介，节肢动物在病毒、细菌和寄生虫的传播中起着至关重要的作用。以往关于病毒传播的研究主要集中在蚊子和蜱虫的作用上，而其他吸血节肢动物如虱蝇（虱蝇科）的潜在重要性在一定程度上被忽视了。本研究的目的是检测来自德国的禽虱蝇中的病毒，以评估它们是否可作为监测具有人畜共患病潜力的虫媒病毒的哨兵生物。
我们在德国收集了1000只虱蝇，包括家燕虱蝇、苍灰虱蝇、鸟虱蝇、双叶鸟虱蝇、细纹鸟虱蝇、绿足鸟虱蝇、金属鸟虱蝇和加那利伪虱蝇，并通过逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）对样本进行西尼罗河病毒（WNV）、乌苏图病毒（USUV）和辛德毕斯病毒（SINV）的筛查，这些都是以鸟类为宿主的虫媒病毒。
虽然未检测到西尼罗河病毒，但我们发现一只虱蝇的乌苏图病毒呈阳性，一只虱蝇的辛德毕斯病毒RNA呈阳性，两者均属于鸟虱蝇物种（n = 279）。因此，在总样本中，乌苏图病毒和辛德毕斯病毒的检出率均为0.1%（95%置信区间0.0 - 0.3%），在鸟虱蝇中为0.36%（95%置信区间0.00 - 1.09%）。对于辛德毕斯病毒检测呈阳性的样本，通过对编码病毒结构多聚蛋白部分的288 bp片段进行测序，证实了PCR结果。
这是首次在虱蝇中检测到乌苏图病毒RNA和辛德毕斯病毒RNA。此外，这也是首次在鸟虱蝇物种中检测到人类致病病毒。本研究结果表明，从“同一健康”概念的角度来看，虱蝇作为具有人畜共患病潜力的病毒病原体的可能哨兵不应被忽视。
