Abstract
Searching for specific antibodies in bird serum could reveal arbovirus activity in certain localities. To date, no systematic surveillance for arbovirus infection in autochthonous population of wild birds has been conducted in Slovakia. Present study includes birds captured on spring migration and birds of the autochthonous nesting population of the Drienovská wetland (Slovakia). Serum samples were tested for West Nile virus (WNV), Usutu virus (USUV), Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and Tribeč virus (TRBV) neutralizing antibodies (NAb). Blood samples were collected during 2017 spring migration (March – April) and from local breeders and hatched juveniles (May – July) caught by Constant Effort site ringing method. Specific NAb were detected by micro-titration virus neutralization test. WNV NAb were detected in 11.7% (18/153) of sampled birds. Ten WNV seropositive were migrants (Eurasian Robins, Eurasian Blackcap and a Great Tit), 5 were nesting adults (Song Thrush, White Throat, Eurasian Jay, Hawfinch and Eurasian Blackbird) and 3 were juveniles (Song Thrush, Common Starling and a Great Tit). There was not confirmed USUV infection in any of the examined birds. TBEV NAb were detected during breeding season in the adult Eurasian Blackcap, which means 1.1% (1/93) seropositivity. TRBV NAb was detected in 7.4% (5/68) of adult birds (Eurasian Blackbirds and a Common Starling) and in one juvenile Great Tit, which had also WNV Nab as well. These results suggest active transmission of at least two arboviruses in the autochthonous avifauna in Slovakia.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by grant VEGA 1/0729/16 sponsored by The Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic; by grant IGA No. 08/2016 sponsored by the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice and by the grant NKFIH K 120118 sponsored by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office of Hungary.
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Birds were captured and blood samples were collected by a licensed bird ringer (ĽK), operating under exemption No. 269/132/05–5.1 pil and No. 6998/2015–2.3 from the Act. No. 543/2002 of the Code on nature and landscape protection, granted by the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic to professionally qualified members of BirdLife Slovakia.
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Csank, T., Korytár, Ľ., Pošiváková, T. et al. Surveillance on antibodies against West Nile virus, Usutu virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus and Tribeč virus in wild birds in Drienovská wetland, Slovakia. Biologia 74, 813–820 (2019). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-019-00211-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-019-00211-4