Seroprevalence Rates against West Nile, Usutu, and Tick-Borne Encephalitis Viruses in Blood-Donors from North-Western Romania

Introduction: West Nile virus (WNV), Usutu virus (USUV), and the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) are all arboviruses belonging to Flaviviridae family. All are characterized by vectorial transmission and sometimes associated with neuroinvasive infections. The circulation of these viruses is cons...

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Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2022-07, Vol.19 (13), p.8182
Main Authors: Coroian, Mircea, Mihalca, Andrei Daniel, Dobler, Gerhard, Euringer, Kathrin, Girl, Philipp, Borșan, Silvia-Diana, Kalmár, Zsuzsa, Tincuța Briciu, Violeta, Flonta, Mirela, Topan, Adriana, Rădulescu, Amanda Lelia, Ungur, Andrei, Lupșe, Mihaela Sorina
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arachnids
Arthropods
Blood
Blood & organ donations
Blood donors
Blood transfusions
Encephalitis
Enzymes
Epidemiology
Flaviviridae
Infections
Invasiveness
Laboratories
Mortality
Neutralization
Serology
Statistical analysis
Tick-borne encephalitis
Ticks
Vector-borne diseases
Viruses
West Nile virus
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Summary:Introduction: West Nile virus (WNV), Usutu virus (USUV), and the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) are all arboviruses belonging to Flaviviridae family. All are characterized by vectorial transmission and sometimes associated with neuroinvasive infections. The circulation of these viruses is considered endemic in parts of Europe, with human cases reported in many countries. Among hosts, the viruses are vectored by hematophagous arthropods, such as mosquitoes (WNV, USUV) and ticks (TBEV). Considering the currently outdated knowledge regarding the epidemiology of these viruses in Romania, the aim of our study was to assess the seroprevalence rates of WNV, USUV, and TBEV among healthy blood donors in north-western Romania. Methods: Human blood samples from healthy donors were collected between November 2019 and February 2020 in six counties from the north-western region of Romania. The samples were serologically tested by ELISA and serum neutralization test. Results: Overall, we obtained a seroprevalence of 3.17% for WNV, 0.08% for TBEV, and 0% for USUV. Conclusion: Despite the low seroprevalence of WNV, USUV, and TBEV in our study, we highlight the need for continuous nationwide vector and disease surveillance and implementation of control measures. Further research is required for an optimal overview of the epidemiological status of the Romanian population regarding these flaviviruses together with countrywide awareness campaigns.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph19138182