Tickborne arbovirus surveillance in market livestock, Nairobi, Kenya.
To identify tickborne viruses circulating in Kenya and the surrounding region, we conducted surveillance at abattoirs in Nairobi, Kenya. Species of ticks collected included Rhipicephalus pulchellus (56%), Amblyomma gemma (14%), R. appendiculatus (8%), A. variegatum (6%), and others. A total of 56 virus isolates were obtained, 26 from A. gemma, 17 from R. pulchellus, 6 from A. variegatum, and 7 from other species. Virus isolates included Dugbe virus (DUGV), an unknown virus related to DUGV, Thogoto, Bhanja, Kadam, Dhori, Barur, and foot-and-mouth disease (FMDV) viruses. This is the first report of Dhori virus isolation in East Africa and the first known isolation of FMDV associated with tick collection. Our results demonstrate the potential for tickborne dissemination of endemic and emergent viruses and the relevance of A. gemma in the maintenance of tickborne viruses in this region.
Sang
Rosemary
R
Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya.
Onyango
Clayton
C
Gachoya
John
J
Mabinda
Ernest
E
Konongoi
Samson
S
Ofula
Victor
V
Dunster
Lee
L
Okoth
Fred
F
Coldren
Rodney
R
Tesh
Robert
R
da Rossa
Amelia Travassos
AT
Finkbeiner
Stacy
S
Wang
David
D
Crabtree
Mary
M
Miller
Barry
B
D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000821:virology*; D001103:Arboviruses / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002417:Cattle; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D017282:Tick-Borne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology*; D013987:Ticks / Q000821:virology*