Early start of seasonal transmission and co-circulation of West Nile virus lineage 2 and a newly introduced lineage 1 strain,northern Italy,June 2022 |
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| Authors: | Luisa Barzon Fabrizio Montarsi Erika Quaranta Isabella Monne Monia Pacenti Alice Michelutti Federica Toniolo Patrizia Danesi Giulio Marchetti Federica Gobbo Alessandro Sinigaglia Silvia Riccetti Emanuela Dal Molin Laura Favero Francesca Russo Gioia Capelli |
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| Affiliation: | 1.Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padua, Italy; 2.Microbiology and Virology Unit, Padova University Hospital, Padua, Italy; 3.Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy; 4.Direzione Prevenzione, Sicurezza Alimentare, Veterinaria, Regione del Veneto, Venice, Italy |
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| Abstract: | In spring 2022, Europe faced an unprecedented heatwave, increasing the risk of West Nile virus (WNV) outbreaks. As early as 7 June 2022, WNV was detected in Culex mosquitoes in northern Italy, and – in the following days – in two blood donors, a patient with encephalitis, wild birds and additional mosquito pools. Genome sequencing demonstrated co-circulation of WNV lineage 2 and a newly introduced WNV lineage 1, which was discovered in the region in 2021. |
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| Keywords: | West Nile virus surveillance lineage climate change One Health genome sequencing |
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