Widespread activity of multiple lineages of Usutu virus, western Europe, 2016.
In the summer of 2016, Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands reported widespread Usutu virus (USUV) activity based on live and dead bird surveillance. The causative USUV strains represented four lineages, of which two putative novel lineages were most likely recently introduced into Germany and spread to other western European countries. The spatial extent of the outbreak area corresponded with R0values > 1. The occurrence of the outbreak, the largest USUV epizootic registered so far in Europe, allowed us to gain insight in how a recently introduced arbovirus with potential public health implications can spread and become a resident pathogen in a naïve environment. Understanding the ecological and epidemiological factors that drive the emergence or re-emergence of USUV is critical to develop and implement timely surveillance strategies for adequate preventive and control measures. Public health authorities, blood transfusion services and clinicians in countries where USUV was detected should be aware of the risk of possible USUV infection in humans, including in patients with unexplained encephalitis or other neurological impairments, especially during late summer when mosquito densities peak.
Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Hamburg, Germany.|These authors contributed equally to this work.
Daniel
D
Cadar
Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Hamburg, Germany.|These authors contributed equally to this work.
Renke
R
Lühken
These authors contributed equally to this work.|Vogeltrekstation - Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Henk
H
van der Jeugd
These authors contributed equally to this work.|Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Mutien
M
Garigliany
These authors contributed equally to this work.|Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
Ute
U
Ziegler
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
Markus
M
Keller
Parc Animalier de Sainte Croix, Rhodes, France.
Jennifer
J
Lahoreau
Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), Berlin, Germany.
Lars
L
Lachmann
German Mosquito Control Association (KABSeV), Speyer, Germany.|University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Norbert
N
Becker
Dutch Wildlife Health Centre, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Marja
M
Kik
Erasmus MC, Department of Viroscience, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Bas B
BB
Oude Munnink
Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), Stuttgart, Germany.
Stefan
S
Bosch
Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Hamburg, Germany.|German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hamburg-Luebeck-Borstel, Hamburg, Germany.
Egbert
E
Tannich
Belgian Wildlife Health Surveillance Network, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Annick
A
Linden
Clinic for birds and reptiles, University Leipzig, Germany.
Volker
V
Schmidt
Erasmus MC, Department of Viroscience, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Marion P
MP
Koopmans
These authors contributed equally to this work.|Dutch Wildlife Health Centre, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Jolianne
J
Rijks
These authors contributed equally to this work.|Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Daniel
D
Desmecht
These authors contributed equally to this work.|Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
Martin H
MH
Groschup
These authors contributed equally to this work.|Erasmus MC, Department of Viroscience, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Chantal
C
Reusken
Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, Hamburg, Germany.|These authors contributed equally to this work.|German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hamburg-Luebeck-Borstel, Hamburg, Germany.
Jonas
J
Schmidt-Chanasit
D000818:Animals; D001530:Belgium; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D001717:Birds / Q000821:virology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D018349:Encephalitis Viruses, Japanese / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D018177:Flavivirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D005602:France; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D010802:Phylogeny; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Belgium, Lineage, Evolution, Epizootic; Bird; France; Germany; Netherlands; Usutu virus