TY - JOUR
T1 - Monitoring for the possible introduction of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in Italy based on tick sampling on migratory birds and serological survey of sheep flocks
AU - De Liberato, Claudio
AU - Frontoso, Raffaele
AU - Magliano, Adele
AU - Montemaggiori, Alessandro
AU - Autorino, Gian Luca
AU - Sala, Marcello
AU - Bosworth, Andrew
AU - Scicluna, Maria Teresa
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Authors
PY - 2018/1/1
Y1 - 2018/1/1
N2 - Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), endemic in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, is caused by a tibovirus (CCHFV) transmitted in particular by the Hyalomma genus of the Ixodidae family that can remain attached to the host for up to 26 days, which in case of migratory birds allows long distance carriage. Although CCHF in domestic ruminants is usually subclinical, they may become reservoirs and act as sentinels for the introduction and/or circulation of CCHFV. In this study, possible CCHFV introduction and circulation in Italy were monitored by tick sampling on migratory birds and by a serosurvey conducted on sheep. While bird tick sampling was conducted in thirteen ringing sites of Central and Southern Italy, the serosurvey was performed on flocks grazing in coastal provinces of Central Italy that are stop over areas for birds flying from Africa, where Hyalomma ticks and CCHFV are endemic, to Central and Northern Europe. A total of 282 ticks (80.8% were Hyalomma spp.) were collected from 139 (0.28%) migratory birds of the 50,325 birds checked with 0.22% infested by Hyalomma spp., involving 22 avian species with a mean number of 1.6 Hyalomma spp. per infested bird. For the serosurvey, 540 sheep sera were randomly collected that resulted all negative when examined by an indirect IgG ELISA, employing a recombinant antigen coded by the CCHFV S gene. While the present study confirmed the introduction of CCHFV potential vectors in Central Italy, transported by migratory birds arriving from endemic areas, the serosurvey results did not put in evidence the concomitant arrival of the virus in the study area during the survey period. In general, in areas potentially at risk of CCHFV introduction and circulation, structured serological monitoring of susceptible domestic animals represents a rational system for an early detection of virus circulation.
AB - Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), endemic in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, is caused by a tibovirus (CCHFV) transmitted in particular by the Hyalomma genus of the Ixodidae family that can remain attached to the host for up to 26 days, which in case of migratory birds allows long distance carriage. Although CCHF in domestic ruminants is usually subclinical, they may become reservoirs and act as sentinels for the introduction and/or circulation of CCHFV. In this study, possible CCHFV introduction and circulation in Italy were monitored by tick sampling on migratory birds and by a serosurvey conducted on sheep. While bird tick sampling was conducted in thirteen ringing sites of Central and Southern Italy, the serosurvey was performed on flocks grazing in coastal provinces of Central Italy that are stop over areas for birds flying from Africa, where Hyalomma ticks and CCHFV are endemic, to Central and Northern Europe. A total of 282 ticks (80.8% were Hyalomma spp.) were collected from 139 (0.28%) migratory birds of the 50,325 birds checked with 0.22% infested by Hyalomma spp., involving 22 avian species with a mean number of 1.6 Hyalomma spp. per infested bird. For the serosurvey, 540 sheep sera were randomly collected that resulted all negative when examined by an indirect IgG ELISA, employing a recombinant antigen coded by the CCHFV S gene. While the present study confirmed the introduction of CCHFV potential vectors in Central Italy, transported by migratory birds arriving from endemic areas, the serosurvey results did not put in evidence the concomitant arrival of the virus in the study area during the survey period. In general, in areas potentially at risk of CCHFV introduction and circulation, structured serological monitoring of susceptible domestic animals represents a rational system for an early detection of virus circulation.
KW - Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever
KW - Italy
KW - Migratory birds
KW - Serological survey
KW - Sheep
KW - Tick
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85034063392&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.10.014
DO - 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.10.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 29290300
AN - SCOPUS:85034063392
VL - 149
SP - 47
EP - 52
JO - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
JF - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
SN - 0167-5877
ER -