Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Antibodies in Roe Deer, the Netherlands

Rijks, Jolianne M.; Montizaan, Margriet G.E.; Bakker, Nine; de Vries, Ankje; Van Gucht, Steven; Swaan, Corien; van den Broek, Jan; Gröne, Andrea; Sprong, Hein

doi:10.3201/eid2502.181386

Cited by 18 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 14 publications

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“…Ticks were collected from 29 sampling locations in 2017 and 2019. Locations were selected based on known [ 47 ] and potential [ 48 ] TBEV transmission sites ( S1 Table ). Ticks were processed in pools consisting of either 25 nymphs, four individual adult female ticks, or eight adult male ticks.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ixodes ricinus as potential vector for Usutu virus

Bakker,

Münger,

Esser

et al. 2024

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

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Usutu virus (USUV) is an emerging flavivirus that is maintained in an enzootic cycle with mosquitoes as vectors and birds as amplifying hosts. In Europe, the virus has caused mass mortality of wild birds, mainly among Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) populations. While mosquitoes are the primary vectors for USUV, Common Blackbirds and other avian species are exposed to other arthropod ectoparasites, such as ticks. It is unknown, however, if ticks can maintain and transmit USUV. We addressed this question using in vitro and in vivo experiments and field collected data. USUV replicated in IRE/CTVM19 Ixodes ricinus tick cells and in injected ticks. Moreover, I. ricinus nymphs acquired the virus via artificial membrane blood-feeding and maintained the virus for at least 70 days. Transstadial transmission of USUV from nymphs to adults was confirmed in 4.9% of the ticks. USUV disseminated from the midgut to the haemocoel, and was transmitted via the saliva of the tick during artificial membrane blood-feeding. We further explored the role of ticks by monitoring USUV in questing ticks and in ticks feeding on wild birds in the Netherlands between 2016 and 2019. In total, 622 wild birds and the Ixodes ticks they carried were tested for USUV RNA. Of these birds, 48 (7.7%) carried USUV-positive ticks. The presence of negative-sense USUV RNA in ticks, as confirmed via small RNA-sequencing, showed active virus replication. In contrast, we did not detect USUV in 15,381 questing ticks collected in 2017 and 2019. We conclude that I. ricinus can be infected with USUV and can transstadially and horizontally transmit USUV. However, in comparison to mosquito-borne transmission, the role of I. ricinus ticks in the epidemiology of USUV is expected to be minor.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ixodes ricinus as potential vector for Usutu virus

Bakker,

Münger,

Esser

et al. 2024

PLoS Negl Trop Dis

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Temporal dynamics of antibody level against Lyme disease bacteria in roe deer: Tale of a sentinel?

Ollivier,

Choquet,

Gamble

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Changes in the risk of exposure to infectious disease agents can be tracked through variations in antibody prevalence in vertebrate host populations. However, information on the temporal dynamics of the immune status of individuals is critical. If antibody levels persist a long time after exposure to an infectious agent, they could enable the efficient detection of the past circulation of the agent; if they persist only a short time, they could provide snap shots of recent exposure of sampled hosts. Here, we explored the temporal dynamics of seropositivity against Lyme disease agent Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) in individuals of a widespread medium‐sized mammal species, the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), in France. Using a modified commercially available immunoassay we tested 1554 blood samples obtained in two wild deer populations monitored from 2010 to 2020. Using multi‐event capture‐mark‐recapture models, we estimated yearly population‐, age‐, and sex‐specific rates of seroconversion and seroreversion after accounting for imperfect detection. The yearly seroconversion rates indicated a higher level of exposure in early (2010–2013) than in late years (2014–2019) to infected tick bites in both populations, without any detectable influence of sex or age. The relatively high rates of seroreversion indicated a short‐term persistence of antibody levels against Bbsl in roe deer. This was confirmed by the analysis of samples collected on a set of captive individuals that were resampled several times a few weeks apart. Our findings show the potential usefulness of deer as a sentinel for tracking the risk of exposure to Lyme disease Bbsl, although further investigation on the details of the antibody response to Bbsl in this incompetent host would be useful. Our study also highlights the value of combining long‐term capture‐mark‐recapture sampling and short‐time analyses of serological data for wildlife populations exposed to infectious agents of relevance to wildlife epidemiology and human health.

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Serological evidence of tick-borne encephalitis virus infection in South Korea, 2015–2018

Yoo

Lee

et al. 2020

Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases

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Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Antibodies in Roe Deer, the Netherlands

Cited by 18 publications

References 14 publications

Ixodes ricinus as potential vector for Usutu virus

Ixodes ricinus as potential vector for Usutu virus

Temporal dynamics of antibody level against Lyme disease bacteria in roe deer: Tale of a sentinel?

Serological evidence of tick-borne encephalitis virus infection in South Korea, 2015–2018

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