Presence of sandfly-borne phleboviruses of two antigenic complexes ( Sandfly fever Naples virus and Sandfly fever Sicilian virus ) in two different bio-geographical regions of Tunisia demonstrated by a microneutralisation-based seroprevalence study in dogs

Abstract

Background: Sandfly-borne phleboviruses are present in North Africa where they can infect humans in regions where Leishmania infantum, the causative agent of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis in the Western Mediterranean basin is present affecting both humans and dogs. We investigated the capacity of dogs to be used as sentinels for sandfly-borne phleboviruses as previously shown for leishmaniasis.

Potential Animal Reservoirs of Toscana Virus and Coinfections with Leishmania infantum in Turkey

“…13 In Tunisia, another Phlebovirus-endemic region, TOSV as well as Punique and Sandfly fever Sicilian virus exposure in dogs were identified, with 7.5% seroprevalence for TOSV. 33 It has further been suggested that dogs can be used as sentinel animals for monitoring Phlebovirus activity. 33 Our serosurvey findings in Mersin and Adana provinces of the Mediterranean Anatolia revealed a relatively high TOSV neutralizing antibody prevalence (40.4%) in dogs.…”

“…33 It has further been suggested that dogs can be used as sentinel animals for monitoring Phlebovirus activity. 33 Our serosurvey findings in Mersin and Adana provinces of the Mediterranean Anatolia revealed a relatively high TOSV neutralizing antibody prevalence (40.4%) in dogs. Moreover, specific antibodies were detected in goats, despite with a lower rate and in samples collected during October, after the months of peak sandfly activity.…”

Phlebovirus and Leishmania detection in sandflies from eastern Thrace and northern Cyprus

“…Besides the widely-dispersed SFSV and TOSV, a vast diversity of phleboviruses has been revealed in sandflies in the endemic regions, which include Salehabad, Karimabad and Tehran viruses in Iran, Corfu virus in Greece, Arbia virus in Italy, Massilia virus in France, Granada virus in Spain, Punique and Utique viruses in Tunisia, Adria virus in Albania, as well as other putative isolates [8,28,29,[58][59][60][61][62][63][64]. Recently-identified Fermo virus in Italy as well as Provencia and Olbia viruses in France and Saddaguia virus in Tunisia have also been included in the list of tentative local viruses [65][66][67].…”

European Network for Neglected Vectors and Vector-Borne Infections COST Action Guidelines: What Is This About and What Is This For?

“…The identified viruses could be used as a guide; year, location, and sample used for detection/isolation may give hints for possible other phleboviruses in circulation. For several countries, despite detection or isolation of phleboviruses is lacking, serological studies reveal phlebovirus exposure in human or animal populations through the detection of antibodies (Batieha et al 2000, Hukić et al 2009, Venturi et al 2011, Abutarbush and AlMajali 2014, Sakhria et al 2014.…”

“…some of these viruses (Navarro-Marí et al 2011, Alkan et al 2013, Sakhria et al 2014, Dincer et al 2015, Tahir et al 2016); accordingly they can serve as sentinels for the presence of the corresponding viruses. There is no undisputable evidence that birds can be infected by sandfly-borne phleboviruses, but few studies have addressed this point.…”