Detection of West Nile virus and tick-borne encephalitis virus in birds in Slovakia, using a universal primer set

• DOI: 10.1007/s00705-016-2828-5
• Publication Date: 2016-03-21T04:31:54Z
• Authors: Tomáš Csank; Katarína Bhide; Elena Bencúrová; Saskia Dolinská; Petra Drzewnioková; Peter Major; Ľuboš Korytár; Eva Bocková; Mangesh Bhide; Juraj Pistl
• Keywords: Flavivirus; West Nile virus; Tick-borne encephalitis virus; Primer (cosmetics); Medical microbiology; Encephalitis Viruses

West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne neurotropic pathogen that presents a major public health concern. Information on WNV prevalence and circulation in Slovakia is insufficient. Oral and cloacal swabs and bird brain samples were tested for flavivirus RNA by RT-PCR using newly designed generic primers. The species designation was confirmed by sequencing. WNV was detected in swab and brain samples, whereas one brain sample was positive for tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). The WNV sequences clustered with lineages 1 and 2. These results confirm the circulation of WNV in birds in Slovakia and emphasize the risk of infection of humans and horses.