Travel-related vector-borne virus infections in Germany

Schwarz, Tino F.; Jäger, Gundula; Gilch, Sabine; Pauli, Christof; Eisenhut, Michael; Nitschko, Hans; Hegenscheid, B

doi:10.1007/978-3-7091-7482-1_7

Cited by 21 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…However, seroprevalence studies suggest its circulation in other Mediterranean countries [Eitrem et al, 1990[Eitrem et al, , 1991aSchwarz et al, 1995bSchwarz et al, , 1996a. In Spain, an important tourist destination, many cases of suspected viral meningitis remain unexplained after laboratory studies [Echevarría et al, 1999], and data supporting the presence of the virus in two different regions in Spain have been communicated [Mendoza-Montero et al, 1998;Echevarría et al, 2003].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although isolation of TOSV has only been reported in Italy [Braito et al, 1998a] and Spain [Mendoza-Montero et al, 1998], serological evidence of its circulation has been found in other Mediterranean countries, such as Cyprus [Eitrem et al, 1990[Eitrem et al, , 1991a, Turkey [Schwarz et al, 1996a] and Portugal [Schwarz et al, 1995b[Schwarz et al, , 1996a, thus suggesting a wider spread of the agent. Mediterranean countries are visited by millions of tourists every year, so that a potential risk of travel-related infection exists [Eitrem et al, 1990[Eitrem et al, , 1991bSchwarz et al, 1993Schwarz et al, , 1995bSchwarz et al, , 1996a.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Detection and identification of Toscana and other phleboviruses by RT‐nested‐PCR assays with degenerated primers

Sánchez-Seco¹,

Echevarría²,

Hernández³

et al. 2003

Journal of Medical Virology

152

133

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Phleboviruses are a large and widespread group of viruses that are transmitted by arthropods. Toscana virus is one of the principal agents that causes meningitis in humans during the summer in Italy and, possibly, in other Mediterranean countries. Rift Valley Fever virus can cause serious illness in both animals and humans, leading to high morbidity and mortality, and is considered to be a potential agent for epizootics and human epidemics. Since information on this group of viruses is still scant, reliable laboratory tools for diagnosis and epidemiological surveillance must be developed, in order to ascertain their real impact on Public Health. Sequence data obtained from Spanish isolates of Toscana virus and other phleboviruses confirmed that natural genome variability may hamper the diagnosis of these agents by molecular methods, so this must be borne in mind when developing reliable assays. In view of the above, a novel and useful protocol has been developed for the detection and specific identification of every member of the phlebovirus genus present in a sample, including Toscana virus, based on a generic RT-nested-PCR, followed by sequencing of the amplified fragment. A change in this method also allowed specific direct detection and identification of wild isolates of Toscana virus of different geographical origin, using newly designed primers. Testing clinical samples with these assays confirmed the role of Toscana virus as an agent that causes acute aseptic meningitis in the central region of Spain.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Detection and identification of Toscana and other phleboviruses by RT‐nested‐PCR assays with degenerated primers

Sánchez-Seco¹,

Echevarría²,

Hernández³

et al. 2003

Journal of Medical Virology

152

133

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“…The second case to be reported is traced back in 1996 [42] . From 2002 to 2005, 106 CSF samples, collected between June and September in patients younger than 30-year-old, were tested for TOSV by RT-PCR, and resulted in the detection of 6 positives [43] .…”

Section: Portugalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emergence of Toscana virus in the mediterranean area

Charrel

Bichaud²,

Lamballerie³

2012

WJV

103

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Toscana virus (TOSV) is an arthropod-borne virus, identified in 1971, from Phlebotomus perniciosus and Phlebotomus perfiliewi in central Italy. TOSV belongs to the Phlebovirus genus within the Bunyaviridae family.As other bunyaviruses, the genome of TOSV consists of 3 segments (S for small, M for Medium, and L for Large) respectively encoding non structural and capsid proteins, envelope structural proteins, and the viral RNA-dependant RNA-polymerase. It is transmitted by sand flies. Therefore its distribution is dictated by that of the arthropod vectors, and virus circulation peaks during summertime when sandfly populations are active. Here, we reviewed the epidemiology of TOSV in the old world. First evidence of its pathogenicity for humans, specifically its propensity to cause central nervous system (CNS) infections such as meningitis and encephalitis, was reported in central Italy. After 2000, it was recognized that TOSV had a much larger geographic distribution than initially believed, and was present in most of the Western European countries located on the northern border of the Mediterranean Sea (Portugal, Spain, France, Greece, Croatia) as well as eastern countries such as Cyprus and Turkey. In the countries where TOSV is present, it is among the three most prevalent viruses in meningitis during the warm seasons, together with enteroviruses and herpesviruses. Up to now, epidemiological data concerning Northern Africa and other countries located south of the Mediterranean are scarce. TOSV must be considered an emerging pathogen. Despite the important role played by TOSV in CNS infections, it remains a neglected agent and is rarely considered by physicians in diagnostic algorithms of CNS infections and febrile illness during the warm season, probably because of the lack of information.

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“…Infection with the sandfly fever virus (Phlebovirus) is acquired for example in Italy, Spain or the Balkans, dengue fever virus infections are acquired during travel to South-East Asia (e.g. Thailand) or the Caribbean and South America, and yellow fever virus infections are acquired in Africa and South America [14][15][16][17].…”

Section: Infection and Infectious Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arboviruses – Viruses Transmissible by Arthropods

2004

Transfus Med Hemother

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Travel-related vector-borne virus infections in Germany

Cited by 21 publications

References 23 publications

Detection and identification of Toscana and other phleboviruses by RT‐nested‐PCR assays with degenerated primers

Detection and identification of Toscana and other phleboviruses by RT‐nested‐PCR assays with degenerated primers

Emergence of Toscana virus in the mediterranean area

Arboviruses – Viruses Transmissible by Arthropods

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