Abstract
In September 2010, an unusually high number of wild birds (partridges and pheasants) died in Cádiz in southwestern Spain. Reverse transcription PCR and virus isolation detected flavivirus infections. Complete nucleotide sequence analysis identified Bagaza virus, a flavivirus with a known distribution that includes sub-Saharan Africa and India, as the causative agent.
Highlights
An essential feature of certain emerging pathogens is their ability to expand their geographic ranges
Because red-legged partridges have recently been shown to be susceptible to West Nile virus (WNV) disease [10], it immediately raised suspicions that WNV could be responsible for these deaths
A heminested reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) specific for a broad range of flaviviruses [12] showed positive results for all samples (Table), indicating that a non-WNV flavivirus was present in samples from different tissues of diseased birds
Summary
An essential feature of certain emerging pathogens is their ability to expand their geographic ranges. The carcass of 1 of the affected partridges was subjected to necroscopic analysis of different tissues, including heart, intestine, lung, liver, kidney, brain, and feathers (Table). Analysis by real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) specific for lineage 1 and lineage 2 WNV [11] showed negative results for all samples tested. A heminested RT-PCR specific for a broad range of flaviviruses [12] showed positive results for all samples (Table), indicating that a non-WNV flavivirus was present in samples from different tissues of diseased birds.
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