Widespread activity of multiple lineages of Usutu virus, western Europe, 2016

TY - JOUR

T1 - Widespread activity of multiple lineages of Usutu virus, western Europe, 2016

AU - Cadar, Daniel

AU - Lühken, Renke

AU - van der Jeugd, Henk

AU - Garigliany, Mutien

AU - Ziegler, Ute

AU - Keller, Markus

AU - Lahoreau, Jennifer

AU - Lachmann, Lars

AU - Becker, Norbert

AU - Kik, Marja

AU - Oude Munnink, Bas B

AU - Bosch, Stefan

AU - Tannich, Egbert

AU - Linden, Annick

AU - Schmidt, Volker

AU - Koopmans, Marion P

AU - Rijks, Jolianne

AU - Desmecht, Daniel

AU - Groschup, Martin H

AU - Reusken, Chantal

AU - Schmidt-Chanasit, Jonas

N1 - VT; Data archiving: data archived at DWHC

PY - 2017/1/26

Y1 - 2017/1/26

N2 - In the summer of 2016, Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands reported widespread Usutu virus (USUV) activity based on live and dead bird surveillance. The causative USUV strains represented four lineages, of which two putative novel lineages were most likely recently introduced into Germany and spread to other western European countries. The spatial extent of the outbreak area corresponded with R0 values > 1. The occurrence of the outbreak, the largest USUV epizootic registered so far in Europe, allowed us to gain insight in how a recently introduced arbovirus with potential public health implications can spread and become a resident pathogen in a naïve environment. Understanding the ecological and epidemiological factors that drive the emergence or re-emergence of USUV is critical to develop and implement timely surveillance strategies for adequate preventive and control measures. Public health authorities, blood transfusion services and clinicians in countries where USUV was detected should be aware of the risk of possible USUV infection in humans, including in patients with unexplained encephalitis or other neurological impairments, especially during late summer when mosquito densities peak.

AB - In the summer of 2016, Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands reported widespread Usutu virus (USUV) activity based on live and dead bird surveillance. The causative USUV strains represented four lineages, of which two putative novel lineages were most likely recently introduced into Germany and spread to other western European countries. The spatial extent of the outbreak area corresponded with R0 values > 1. The occurrence of the outbreak, the largest USUV epizootic registered so far in Europe, allowed us to gain insight in how a recently introduced arbovirus with potential public health implications can spread and become a resident pathogen in a naïve environment. Understanding the ecological and epidemiological factors that drive the emergence or re-emergence of USUV is critical to develop and implement timely surveillance strategies for adequate preventive and control measures. Public health authorities, blood transfusion services and clinicians in countries where USUV was detected should be aware of the risk of possible USUV infection in humans, including in patients with unexplained encephalitis or other neurological impairments, especially during late summer when mosquito densities peak.

KW - Journal Article

KW - international

U2 - 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2017.22.4.30452

DO - 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2017.22.4.30452

M3 - Article

C2 - 28181903

SN - 1560-7917

VL - 22

JO - Eurosurveillance

JF - Eurosurveillance

IS - 4

M1 - 30452

ER -