Correction: Epizootic Emergence of Usutu Virus in Wild and Captive Birds in Germany

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the causative agent of mass mortality in wild and captive birds in southwest Germany and to gather insights into the phylogenetic relationship and spatial distribution of the pathogen. Since June 2011, 223 dead birds were collected and tested for the presence of viral pathogens. Usutu virus (USUV) RNA was detected by real-time RT-PCR in 86 birds representing 6 species. The virus was isolated in cell culture from the heart of 18 Blackbirds (Turdus merula). USUVspecific antigen was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in brain, heart, liver, and lung of infected Blackbirds. The complete polyprotein coding sequence was obtained by deep sequencing of liver and spleen samples of a dead Blackbird from Mannheim (BH65/11-02-03). Phylogenetic analysis of the German USUV strain BH65/11-02-03 revealed a close relationship with strain Vienna that caused mass mortality among birds in Austria in 2001. Wild birds from lowland river valleys in southwest Germany were mainly affected by USUV, but also birds kept in aviaries. Our data suggest that after the initial detection of USUV in German mosquitoes in 2010, the virus spread in 2011 and caused epizootics among wild and captive birds in southwest Germany. The data also indicate an increased risk of USUV infections in humans in Germany.

West Nile Virus Epidemic in Germany Triggered by Epizootic Emergence, 2019

“…Requests for the submission of dead birds were made via press releases of involved institutes and subsequent dissemination of the information by different kinds of media, including newspaper articles, television and radio. Total RNA from homogenized tissue samples (brain, liver, lung, or heart) was extracted and analyzed for the presence of flavivirus RNA by using a modified pan-flavivirus reverse transcription PCR [15] or WNV-specific reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) [16]. Furthermore, all samples were also tested using the USUV-specific RT-qPCR described by Jöst et al [17] (data not shown).…”

Serological Evidence of West Nile and Usutu Viruses Circulation in Domestic and Wild Birds in Wetlands of Mali and Madagascar in 2008

“…Virus ribonucleic acid was also detected in Israel in Culex mosquitoes collected in 2014-2015 [33]. USUV can be responsible for high mortalities in wild birds, especially blackbirds (Turdus merula) and captive birds belonging to the order Strigiformes (e.g., Strix nebulosa, Strix aluco, Bubo scandiacus) [24,34]. USUV is also a zoonotic virus.…”

Experimental Usutu Virus Infection in Domestic Canaries Serinus canaria

“…At least 99 European bird species, belonging to 36 different families [13][14][15][16], are currently known to be susceptible to USUV infection. However, only in a few of these avian species a fatal disease linked to USUV has been described [17], including the European blackbird (Turdus merula) [15,[18][19][20][21], house sparrow (Passer domesticus) [22,23], grey owl (Strix nebulosa) [24], and common scoter (Melanitta nigra) [14]. The reasons for this selective pathogenicity are, still, unknown and avian models are critically needed to study the pathogenesis, transmission routes, and virulence of USUV.…”

“…Further, canaries are considered as an excellent model of infection by WNV [28]. Epidemiological surveys carried out in Germany during the period between 2011 and 2013 and during 2017-2018 detected USUV genomic RNA in these birds, indicating that they can be naturally infected with the virus [19,29,30]. However, whether USUV can be pathogenic for this species is still unknown.…”