Serologic and Genomic Investigation of West Nile Virus in Kosovo
The prevalence of West Nile virus (WNV) is increasing across Europe, with cases emerging in previously unaffected countries. Kosovo is situated in a WNV-endemic region where the seroepidemiological data on WNV in humans remains absent. To address this issue, we have conducted a seroepidemiological i...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/1/66 |
| _version_ | 1797342379436408832 |
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| author | Petra Emmerich Xhevat Jakupi Kurtesh Sherifi Shemsedin Dreshaj Ariana Kalaveshi Christoph Hemmer Donjeta Pllana Hajdari Ronald von Possel Dániel Cadar Alexandru Tomazatos |
| author_facet | Petra Emmerich Xhevat Jakupi Kurtesh Sherifi Shemsedin Dreshaj Ariana Kalaveshi Christoph Hemmer Donjeta Pllana Hajdari Ronald von Possel Dániel Cadar Alexandru Tomazatos |
| author_sort | Petra Emmerich |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The prevalence of West Nile virus (WNV) is increasing across Europe, with cases emerging in previously unaffected countries. Kosovo is situated in a WNV-endemic region where the seroepidemiological data on WNV in humans remains absent. To address this issue, we have conducted a seroepidemiological investigation of 453 randomly selected sera from a hospital in Kosovo, revealing a 1.55% anti-WNV IgG seroprevalence. Comparative and phylogeographic analyses of the WNV genomes obtained by sequencing archived samples from patients with West Nile fever indicate at least two recent and distinct introductions of WNV lineage 2 into Kosovo from neighboring countries. These findings confirm the eco-epidemiological status of WNV in southeast Europe, where long- and short-range dispersion of lineage 2 strains contributes to a wider circulation via central Europe. Our results suggest an increasing risk for WNV spreading in Kosovo, underscoring the need for an integrated national surveillance program targeting vectors and avian populations for early epidemic detection, as well as the screening of blood donors to gauge the impact of virus circulation on the human population. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:33:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-58df5661b3454be592cbcec0e68ec620 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T10:33:22Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-58df5661b3454be592cbcec0e68ec6202024-01-26T18:47:57ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152023-12-011616610.3390/v16010066Serologic and Genomic Investigation of West Nile Virus in KosovoPetra Emmerich0Xhevat Jakupi1Kurtesh Sherifi2Shemsedin Dreshaj3Ariana Kalaveshi4Christoph Hemmer5Donjeta Pllana Hajdari6Ronald von Possel7Dániel Cadar8Alexandru Tomazatos9Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, GermanyNational Institute of Public Health of Kosovo, 10000 Pristina, KosovoFaculty of Agriculture and Veterinary, University of Prishtina “Hasan Prishtina”, 10000 Prishtina, KosovoUniversity Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pristina, 10000 Pristina, KosovoNational Institute of Public Health of Kosovo, 10000 Pristina, KosovoDepartment of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Center of Internal Medicine II, University of Rostock, 18057 Rostock, GermanyNational Institute of Public Health of Kosovo, 10000 Pristina, KosovoBernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, GermanyBernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, GermanyBernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, 20359 Hamburg, GermanyThe prevalence of West Nile virus (WNV) is increasing across Europe, with cases emerging in previously unaffected countries. Kosovo is situated in a WNV-endemic region where the seroepidemiological data on WNV in humans remains absent. To address this issue, we have conducted a seroepidemiological investigation of 453 randomly selected sera from a hospital in Kosovo, revealing a 1.55% anti-WNV IgG seroprevalence. Comparative and phylogeographic analyses of the WNV genomes obtained by sequencing archived samples from patients with West Nile fever indicate at least two recent and distinct introductions of WNV lineage 2 into Kosovo from neighboring countries. These findings confirm the eco-epidemiological status of WNV in southeast Europe, where long- and short-range dispersion of lineage 2 strains contributes to a wider circulation via central Europe. Our results suggest an increasing risk for WNV spreading in Kosovo, underscoring the need for an integrated national surveillance program targeting vectors and avian populations for early epidemic detection, as well as the screening of blood donors to gauge the impact of virus circulation on the human population.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/1/66West Nile virusKosovoserologyphylogeographygenomicsepidemiology |
| spellingShingle | Petra Emmerich Xhevat Jakupi Kurtesh Sherifi Shemsedin Dreshaj Ariana Kalaveshi Christoph Hemmer Donjeta Pllana Hajdari Ronald von Possel Dániel Cadar Alexandru Tomazatos Serologic and Genomic Investigation of West Nile Virus in Kosovo Viruses West Nile virus Kosovo serology phylogeography genomics epidemiology |
| title | Serologic and Genomic Investigation of West Nile Virus in Kosovo |
| title_full | Serologic and Genomic Investigation of West Nile Virus in Kosovo |
| title_fullStr | Serologic and Genomic Investigation of West Nile Virus in Kosovo |
| title_full_unstemmed | Serologic and Genomic Investigation of West Nile Virus in Kosovo |
| title_short | Serologic and Genomic Investigation of West Nile Virus in Kosovo |
| title_sort | serologic and genomic investigation of west nile virus in kosovo |
| topic | West Nile virus Kosovo serology phylogeography genomics epidemiology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/16/1/66 |
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