Seroprevalence of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Phlebovirus in Domesticated Deer in South Korea

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome phlebovirus(SFTSV)has a wide host range.Not only has it been found in humans,but also in many wild and domesticated animals.The infection of breeding deer on farms is a particularly worrisome public health concern due to the large amount of human contact and the diverse use of deer products,including raw blood.To investigate the prevalence of breeding domesticated deer,we examined the SFTSV infection rate on deer farms in South Korea from 2015 to 2017.Of the 215 collected blood samples,0.9%(2/215)were found to be positive for viral RNA by PCR,and sequence analysis showed the highest homology with the KADGH human isolate.Both SFTSVspecific recombinant N and Gn protein-based ELIS As revealed that 14.0%(30/215)and 7.9%(17/215)of collected blood specimens were positive for SFTSV antibody.These results demonstrate that the breeding farm deer are exposed to SFTSV and could be a potential infection source for humans through direct contact or consumption of byproducts.

托斯卡纳病毒的研究进展

托斯卡纳病毒(Toscana virus,TOSV)是一种在地中海地区流行的白蛉传播病毒,该病毒感染可引发脑膜炎和脑炎,严重危害人体健康。疑似感染者可通过病毒分离、核酸检测和血清学检测等多种实验室检测方法进行诊断。本文将从TOSV的基因构成与分型、流行概况、传播媒介与增殖宿主、临床表现和实验室诊断等方面进行综述,为我国白蛉传播病毒研究和TOSV感染预防控制提供理论依据。

A comprehensive overview on sandfly fever

Sandfly fever is a febrile emerging arboviral illness which is a huge threat posed to public health.Sandfly fever viruses(Sicilian,Naples,and Toscana)are endemic to the Mediterranean region.Evidence suggests an increase in the activity of sandfly-borne phleboviruses and their extension to other places.The infection is relatively benign but may cause severe clinical manifestations and complications.Sandfly fever viruses belongs to the genus Phlebovirus(family Bunyaviridae),and the four main serotypes include sandfly fever Sicilian virus,sandfly fever Naples virus,sandfly fever Cyprus virus,and Toscana virus.Sandfly fever has flu-like symptoms such as fever,headache,photophobia,malaise,myalgia,and retro-orbital pain.The incubation period of the disease is 4-8 days,and the patient usually recovers within a week.The first infection provides the host with immunity.Sandfly fever viruses are transmitted through the bites of infected female sandflies,thus,the epidemiology of sandfly fever is closely related to the presence and activity of sandfly species that act as the vectors for transmission.Cases and outbreaks of the disease have been reported worldwide for more than 100 years.All in all,this disease is important for non-endemic countries because it is a travel-related and/or imported illness.

Emergence of Toscana virus in the mediterranean area

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.

An emerging hemorrhagic fever in China caused by a novel bunyavirus SFTSV

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome(SFTS) is an emerging hemorrhagic fever in rural areas of China and is caused by a new bunyavirus,SFTSV,named after the disease.The transmission vectors and animal hosts of SFTSV are unclear.Ticks are the most likely transmission vectors and domestic animals,including goats,dogs,and cattle,are potential amplifying hosts of SFTSV.The clinical symptoms of SFTS are nonspecific,but major symptoms include fever,gastrointestinal symptoms,myalgia,dizziness,joint pain,chills,and regional lymphadenopathy.The most common abnormalities in laboratory test results are thrombocytopenia(95%),leukocytopenia(86%),and elevated levels of serum alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,creatine kinase,and lactate dehydrogenase.The fatality rate for SFTS is 12% on average,and the annual incidence of the disease is approximately five per 100000 of the rural population.

Re-isolation of Wuxiang Virus from Wild Sandflies Collected from Yangquan County, China

We previously isolated a new species of the genus Phlebovirus from wild sandflies collected from Wuxiang County in central China,which named the Wuxiang virus(WUXV).In this study,we re-isolated the WUXV from wild sandflies collected from two villages in Yangquan County,China in 2019.Four virus isolates that caused cytopathic effects in BHK-21 cells were successfully isolated from sandfly specimens collected from chicken pens and sheep pens.Phylogenetic analyses of the L,M and S gene segments of the viruses revealed that the four virus strains represented the previously isolated WUXV.The minimum infection rate(MIR)of the virus isolated from the sheep pen was 3.21,and the MIR of the virus isolated from the chicken pen was 3.45.The positive rates of Wuxiang virus neutralizing antibodies in serum samples of local healthy people and domestic chickens were 8.7%(4/46)and 100%(4/4),respectively,suggesting that Wuxiang virus can infect human and animal.In view of the fact that Wuxiang virus is infectious to humans and animals and has a relatively wide geographical distribution in China,it is of great public health significance to strengthen the investigation and study on the infection status of Wuxiang virus in humans and animals.