First Evidence of Fatal Usutu Virus Natural Infections in an Anatidae, the Common Scoter (Melanitta nigra)

Emna Benzarti; Mutien Garigliany; Dany Hauman; Julien Paternostre; Annick Linden; Mathieu Franssen; Michael Sarlet; Dominique Cassart; Daniel Desmecht

doi:10.1089/vbz.2019.2460

First Evidence of Fatal Usutu Virus Natural Infections in an Anatidae, the Common Scoter (Melanitta nigra)

Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2019 Oct;19(10):777-780. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2019.2460. Epub 2019 May 28.

Authors

Emna Benzarti¹, Mutien Garigliany¹, Dany Hauman¹, Julien Paternostre², Annick Linden², Mathieu Franssen¹, Michael Sarlet¹, Dominique Cassart¹, Daniel Desmecht¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, FARAH Research Center, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
² Surveillance Network for Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.

PMID: 31135292
DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2019.2460

Abstract

While fatal infections caused by the Usutu virus appeared to concern only passerines (especially the blackbird) and Strigiformes (especially the great gray owl), we report herein that the virus also naturally causes a fatal disease in an anseriforme species, the common scoter (Melanitta nigra).

Keywords: Belgium; Usutu virus; common scoter; the Netherlands.

MeSH terms

Animals
Anseriformes
Belgium / epidemiology
Bird Diseases / epidemiology
Bird Diseases / virology*
Disease Outbreaks / veterinary
Ducks / virology*
Flavivirus / genetics
Flavivirus / isolation & purification*
Flavivirus Infections / veterinary*
Flavivirus Infections / virology
Netherlands / epidemiology
Phylogeny

Supplementary concepts

Usutu virus