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First evidence of simultaneous occurrence of West Nile virus and Usutu virus neuroinvasive disease in humans in Croatia during the 2013 outbreak

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Abstract

Purpose

We report on first evidence of simultaneous occurrence of West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) neuroinvasive infection in humans in Croatia during the transmission season 2013.

Methods

From June to December 2013, a total of 95 patients with clinically suspected WNV infection (WNV fever and neuroinvasive disease) were tested for WNV IgM/IgG antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Twenty-six reactive samples were further tested by virus neutralization test for confirmation.

Results

WNV neuroinvasive infection was confirmed in 20 patients, while in three patients USUV neutralizing antibodies were detected. Cases occurred during the 11-week interval (from 24 July to 07 October 2013). Both WNV and USUV cases were distributed in three north-western Croatian counties. In addition to human cases, recent asymptomatic WNV infection (detection of IgM antibodies) was recorded in 9/3,460 (0.3 %) tested sentinel horses. Infected animals were recorded in two eastern and one north-western county.

Conclusions

Our results indicate co-circulation of WNV and USUV in Croatia. WNV infection could be misdiagnosed with other emerging infectious diseases presenting with neurological symptoms such as USUV infection.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all laboratory personnel from the Croatian National Institute of Public Health, Zagreb and Istituto G. Caporale, Teramo as well as all epidemiologists at County Public Health Institutes and clinicians at University Hospital for Infectious Diseases “Dr Fran Mihaljevic”, Zagreb and County Hospital Cakovec for their contribution to outbreak control.

Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Virology, Croatian National Institute of Public Health, School of Medicine University of Zagreb, Rockefellerova 12, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    T. Vilibic-Cavlek

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Croatian National Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia

    B. Kaic, I. Pem-Novosel, S. Kurecic-Filipovic & I. Gjenero-Margan

  3. Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases with Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

    L. Barbic & V. Stevanovic

  4. Department of Epidemiology, Zagreb County Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia

    V. Slavic-Vrzic

  5. Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health “Dr Andrija Stampar”, Zagreb, Croatia

    V. Lesnikar

  6. Department of Molecular Diagnostic, Croatian National Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia

    A. Babic-Erceg

  7. Croatian Veterinary Institute, Regional Institute Split, Split, Croatia

    E. Listes

  8. OIE Reference Centre for West Nile Disease, Istituto G. Caporale, Teramo, Italy

    G. Savini

Authors
  1. T. Vilibic-Cavlek
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  4. I. Pem-Novosel
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  8. A. Babic-Erceg
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  10. V. Stevanovic
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  11. I. Gjenero-Margan
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  12. G. Savini
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. Vilibic-Cavlek.

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T. Vilibic-Cavlek and B. Kaic with equal contribution.

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Vilibic-Cavlek, T., Kaic, B., Barbic, L. et al. First evidence of simultaneous occurrence of West Nile virus and Usutu virus neuroinvasive disease in humans in Croatia during the 2013 outbreak. Infection 42, 689–695 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-014-0625-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-014-0625-1

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