MSGID: 1:317/3 63db3c71   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    The quail could be the unknown reservoir of Tuscany and Sicilian viruses   
      
      
     Date:   
         February 1, 2023   
     Source:   
         University of Barcelona   
     Summary:   
         The quail could be the unknown reservoir of the Toscana virus   
         (TOSV) and the Sandfly Fever Sicilian virus (SFSV), mosquito-borne   
         pathogens that can infect domestic animals and also cause disease   
         in humans.   
      
      
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   FULL STORY   
   ==========================================================================   
   The quail could be the unknown reservoir of the Toscana virus (TOSV) and   
   the Sandfly Fever Sicilian virus (SFSV), mosquito-borne pathogens that can   
   infect domestic animals and also cause disease in humans. This conclusion   
   is drawn from a study published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology,   
   and which is led by Jordi Serra-Cobo, professor at the Faculty of Biology   
   and the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) of the University of   
   Barcelona, and Remi Charrel, from the Aix-Marseille University (France).   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   This is the first time that researchers find neutralising antibodies to   
   TOSV and SFSV in wild birds. "To date, the reservoir for these two viruses   
   was unknown, although they have been sought for years. Dogs and bats had   
   been proposed as reservoirs, but the results showed that neither of them   
   were," says Jordi Serra-Cobo, an expert in epidemiological studies with   
   bats as natural reservoirs of infectious agents such as coronaviruses.   
      
   The study, whose first author is Nazli Ayhan, from Aix-Marseille   
   University, includes the participation of Jose' Domingo Rodri'guez   
   Teijeiro, Marc Lo'pez- Roig, Dolors Vinyoles and Abir Monastiri (UB   
   Faculty of Biology and IRBio) and Josep Anton Ferreres (UB Faculty   
   of Biology).   
      
   Emerging viruses in the Mediterranean basin TOSV and SFSV belong to   
   the Phlebovirus genus and are considered emerging pathogens. They are   
   spherical, single-stranded RNA viruses with a high mutation rate and   
   are transmitted by mosquito bites (Phlebotomus genus), insects found   
   mainly in the warmer, drier areas of the Iberian Peninsula. These viruses   
   are distributed in most Mediterranean countries in Western Europe, as   
   well as Cyprus and Turkey. With no actual vaccine against infection,   
   epidemiological surveillance, control, and prevention measures to avoid   
   phlebotomine sandfly bites are crucial to avoid viral infections.   
      
   "Both TOSV and SFSV have been detected in a variety of domestic animals   
   (dogs, cats, goats, horses, pigs, cows), but they can also infect humans   
   and cause diseases," says the researcher, a member of the UB Department   
   of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences.   
      
   In humans, feblovirus infections are usually symptomless and often   
   result in a three-day fever -- pappatasis feve -- which is very similar   
   to influenza. "SFSV can cause a period of short-length high fever,   
   accompanied by headache, rash, photophobia, eye pain, myalgia and general   
   weakness. TOSV can cause the same manifestations as SFSV, but it can also   
   be responsible for various central or peripheral neurological signs,   
   such as meningitis and encephalitis. In fact, part of the encephalitis   
   that occurs in summer is caused by TOSV," Serra-Cobo notes.   
      
   Viruses in migratory birds The results of the new study suggest that   
   birds could be the reservoir or amplifying agents of these viruses. From   
   infected birds, mosquitoes can become infected and then bite animals or   
   humans. In particular, the study highlights the important role of quails   
   (Coturnix coturnix) in the infection dynamics of phleboviruses.   
      
   "Migratory birds play an important role in disease transmission due to   
   their high mobility from one area to another, which makes them potential   
   vectors of diseases that can affect domestic animals and human health,"   
   Serra-Cobo stresses.   
      
   "The quail is a migratory and also a hunter species, which enhances the   
   potential transmission of diseases by direct contact through the food   
   chain. In this context, regular pathogen detection is of great importance   
   to predict future disease risks for both wildlife and humans," concludes   
   the researcher.   
      
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Health_&_Medicine   
                   # Viruses # Infectious_Diseases # Medical_Topics #   
                   HIV_and_AIDS   
             o Plants_&_Animals   
                   # Virology # Microbes_and_More # New_Species #   
                   Veterinary_Medicine   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o West_Nile_virus o Epstein-Barr_virus o Pandemic o Dengue_fever   
             o Infectious_mononucleosis o Ebola o Vector_(biology) o H5N1   
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Barcelona. Note:   
   Content may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Journal Reference:   
      1. Nazli Ayhan, Jose' Domingo Rodri'guez-Teijeiro, Marc Lo'pez-Roig,   
      Dolors   
         Vinyoles, Josep Anton Ferreres, Abir Monastiri, Remi Charrel, Jordi   
         Serra-Cobo. High rates of antibodies against Toscana and Sicilian   
         phleboviruses in common quail Coturnix coturnix birds. Frontiers   
         in Microbiology, 2023; 13 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1091908   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/02/230201134219.htm   
      
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