Phylogenetic characterization of Central/Southern European lineage 2 West Nile virus: analysis of human outbreaks in Italy and Greece, 2013–2014

Barzon, Luisa; Papa, Anna; Lavezzo, Enrico; Franchin, Elisa; Pacenti, Monia; Sinigaglia, Alessandro; Masi, Giulia; Trevisan, Marta; Shaughnessy, Laura; Toppo, Stefano; Papadopoulou, Elpida; Nowotny, Norbert; Ulbert, Sebastian; Piralla, Antonio; Rovida, Francesca; Baldanti, Fausto; Percivalle, Elena; Palù, Giorgio

doi:10.1016/j.cmi.2015.07.018

Cited by 54 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Various strains of WNV lineage 1 (the Western Mediterranean clade) have been involved in human infection in Italy since 1998, whereas WNV lineage 2 was documented for the first time in 2011 [18–20]. However, it has since spread throughout the country and is now the most frequently identified lineage in Italy [19, 21, 22]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconstructing the recent West Nile virus lineage 2 epidemic in Europe and Italy using discrete and continuous phylogeography

et al. 2017

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West Nile virus lineage 2 (WNV-2) was mainly confined to sub-Saharan Africa until the early 2000s, when it was identified for the first time in Central Europe causing outbreaks of human and animal infection. The aim of this study was to reconstruct the origin and dispersion of WNV-2 in Central Europe and Italy on a phylodynamic and phylogeographical basis. To this aim, discrete and continuous space phylogeographical models were applied to a total of 33 newly characterised full-length viral genomes obtained from mosquitoes, birds and humans in Northern Italy in the years 2013–2015 aligned with 64 complete sequences isolated mainly in Europe. The European isolates segregated into two highly significant clades: a small one including three sequences and a large clade including the majority of isolates obtained in Central Europe since 2004. Discrete phylogeographical analysis showed that the most probable location of the root of the largest European clade was in Hungary a mean 12.78 years ago. The European clade bifurcated into two highly supported subclades: one including most of the Central/East European isolates and the other encompassing all of the isolates obtained in Greece. The continuous space phylogeographical analysis of the Italian clade showed that WNV-2 entered Italy in about 2008, probably by crossing the Adriatic sea and reaching a central area of the Po Valley. The epidemic then spread simultaneously eastward, to reach the region of the Po delta in 2013, and westward to the border area between Lombardy and Piedmont in 2014; later, the western strain changed direction southward, and reached the central area of the Po valley once again in 2015. Over a period of about seven years, the virus spread all over an area of northern Italy by following the Po river and its main tributaries.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconstructing the recent West Nile virus lineage 2 epidemic in Europe and Italy using discrete and continuous phylogeography

et al. 2017

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“…More recently, however, outbreaks involving lineage 2 WNV strains have caused human disease and death in Greece, Italy, Romania, Russia, and, potentially, South Africa. (Barzon et al, 2015; McMullen et al, 2013; Papa et al, 2011; Platonov et al, 2011; Sirbu et al, 2011; Venter and Swanepoel, 2010; Zaayman and Venter, 2012)…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasticity of a critical antigenic determinant in the West Nile virus NY99 envelope protein domain III

2016

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West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes febrile illness, encephalitis, and occasionally death in humans. The envelope protein is the main component of the WNV virion surface, and domain III of the envelope protein (EIII) is both a putative receptor binding domain and a target of highly specific, potently neutralizing antibodies. Envelope E-332 (E-332) is known to have naturally occurring variation and to be a key determinant of neutralization for anti-EIII antibodies. A panel of viruses containing all possible amino acid substitutions at E-332 was constructed. E-332 was found to be highly tolerant of mutation, and almost all of these changes had large impacts on antigenicity of EIII but only limited effects on growth or virulence phenotypes.

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“…KU206781). Phylogenetic analysis showed that the virus belonged to the Central/Southern-European WNV lineage 2 clade and the Greek cluster ( 6 ). Sequence showed high similarity with Greece Nea Santa 2010 and Hungary/578 strains (99.66% and 99.57% nt identity, respectively), which suggested that the virus probably had a common ancestor with Greek strains.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Accordingly, analysis of the polyprotein identified amino acid substitutions that are typically found in WNV strains from Greece (i.e., NS2B V119I, NS3 H249P, NS4B S14G/T49A/V113M) ( 6 ) and unique mutations not present in other strains (i.e., E I159M, T436A, NS1 K92N, NS4B N220D, NS5 D141G). These results indicate that the virus might have evolved independently before its emergence in Bulgaria.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Sequencing of the complete WNV genome enables us to obtain evidence for the possible origin of the Bulgarian strain from WNV strains circulating in Central Europe, from which the Greek strain has also evolved ( 4 , 6 ). On the basis of this evidence of WNV circulation in Bulgaria, public health institutions should increase WNV surveillance and control programs in the country.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Fatal Case of West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease in Bulgaria

Baymakova¹,

Trifonova²,

Panayotova³

et al. 2016

Emerg. Infect. Dis.

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To the Editor: West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquitoborne flavivirus. Approximately 80% of human infections are asymptomatic, 10%–20% are characterized by an acute febrile illness, and <1% by involvement of the central nervous system (West Nile neuroinvasive disease). Sporadic human cases and small outbreaks of West Nile fever were reported in Europe until the mid-1990s, when the first large outbreak occurred in Romania in 1996.\ud \ud Since then, and especially in recent years, sporadic human cases and outbreaks have been reported in other countries in Europe and neighboring countries on the Balkan Peninsula. A large outbreak of WNV lineage 2 infection occurred in Greece in 2010. Outbreaks have also been reported in other countries in Europe, which showed spread of WNV lineage 2. Some probable cases of West Nile fever were reported to the Bulgarian Ministry of Health on the basic of serologic test results.\ud \ud We report a case of fatal West Nile neuroinvasive disease in a man in Bulgaria. This case was confirmed by detection of specific antibodies against WNV and sequencing of the full virus genome

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Phylogenetic characterization of Central/Southern European lineage 2 West Nile virus: analysis of human outbreaks in Italy and Greece, 2013–2014

Cited by 54 publications

References 35 publications

Reconstructing the recent West Nile virus lineage 2 epidemic in Europe and Italy using discrete and continuous phylogeography

Reconstructing the recent West Nile virus lineage 2 epidemic in Europe and Italy using discrete and continuous phylogeography

Plasticity of a critical antigenic determinant in the West Nile virus NY99 envelope protein domain III

Fatal Case of West Nile Neuroinvasive Disease in Bulgaria

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