Abstract
In 2022, Greece was the second most seriously affected European country in terms of the West Nile virus (WNV), after Italy. Specifically, Central Macedonia was the region with the most reported human cases (81.5%). In the present study, 30,816 female Culex pipiens sensu lato mosquitoes were collected from May to September 2022 in the seven regional units of Central Macedonia; they were then grouped into 690 pools and tested for WNV, while next-generation sequencing was applied to the samples, which showed a cycle threshold of Ct < 30 in a real-time RT-PCR test. WNV was detected in 5.9% of pools, with significant differences in the detection rate among regional units and months. It is of interest that in the Thessaloniki regional unit, where most of the human cases were observed, the virus circulation started earlier, peaked earlier, and lasted longer than in the other regional units. All sequences clustered into the Central European subclade of WNV lineage 2, and the virus strain differed from the initial Greek strain of 2010 by 0.52% and 0.27% at the nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively. Signature substitutions were present, such as S73P and T157A in the prM and E structural proteins, respectively. The screening of mosquitoes provides useful information for virus circulation in a region with a potential for early warning, while the availability of whole-genome sequences is essential for further studies, including virus evolution.
Published Version (Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.