Serological survey of Toscana virus infections in a high-risk population in Italy.
Toscana virus is the most important agent responsible for meningitis in central Italy. We report a serosurveillance study, using an immunoenzymatic assay, of 360 serum samples harvested from a high-risk population occupationally exposed to Toscana virus in two regions of Italy, Tuscany and Piedmont. The results indicates a seroprevalence of Toscana virus of 77.2% in the forestry workers, particularly in the Tuscany region. This fact is strictly correlated with the ecological niches specific for the survival of Toscana virus arthropod vector.
Valassina
Marcello
M
Microbiology Section, Department of Molecular Biology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. valassina@unisi.it
Valentini
Melissa
M
Pugliese
Agostino
A
Valensin
Pier Egisto
PE
Cusi
Maria Grazia
MG
D001103:Arboviruses; D016468:Forestry; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D010217:Phlebotomus Fever / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D029301:Sandfly fever Naples virus / Q000276:immunology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012698:Serologic Tests