Review
Virology
Mohammad Fereidouni, Dmitry A. Apanaskevich, David B. Pecor, Natalia Yu. Pshenichnaya, Gulzhan N. Abuova, Farida H. Tishkova, Yekaterina Bumburidi, Xiankun Zeng, Jens H. Kuhn, Maryam Keshtkar-Jahromi
Summary: This study summarizes the status of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Central, Eastern, and South-eastern Asia. The risk and burden of CCHF were assessed based on case reports, antibody prevalence, and vector ticks isolation. The majority of cases were reported in Central Asia, while only China reported cases in Eastern Asia. No cases were reported in South-eastern Asia. Countries were classified into different levels based on evidence of CCHF, guiding the strengthening or establishment of CCHF surveillance systems.
Review
Microbiology
Aranzazu Portillo, Ana M. Palomar, Paula Santibanez, Jose A. Oteo
Summary: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a potentially fatal virus transmitted by ticks, widely distributed in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Recent cases in Western Europe and Spain suggest the possibility of virus transmission through ticks and migratory birds.
Article
Entomology
Jane Paula Messina, G. R. William Wint
Summary: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is spreading globally, with new cases reported in many countries. The authors updated the CCHF distribution map to include global disease occurrence records up to June 2022, and added the recent records for Europe. The study shows the environmental suitability for the disease in Europe, helping to identify high-risk areas and target mitigation measures.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Madiou Thierno Bah, Vladimir Grosbois, Frederic Stachurski, Facundo Munoz, Maxime Duhayon, Ignace Rakotoarivony, Anais Appelgren, Clement Calloix, Liz Noguera, Theo Mouillaud, Charlotte Andary, Renaud Lancelot, Karine Huber, Claire Garros, Agnes Leblond, Laurence Vial
Summary: We developed a high-resolution correlative model to predict the distribution of Hyalomma marginatum ticks in southern France. The study found that the ticks were mainly found in areas with warm temperatures, low precipitation, and open natural habitats.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Raul Cuadrado-Matias, Sara Baz-Flores, Alfonso Peralbo-Moreno, Gloria Herrero-Garcia, Maria A. Risalde, Patricia Barroso, Saul Jimenez-Ruiz, Carmen Ruiz-Rodriguez, Francisco Ruiz-Fons
Summary: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an emerging tick-borne human disease in Spain. This study aimed to understand the spatiotemporal dynamics and exposure risk determinants of CCHF virus (CCHFV) in wild ungulate species, and to predict the most likely transmission areas and years. The main findings show that the abundance of the CCHFV vector, Hyalomma lusitanicum, is a fundamental driver of fine-scale spatial transmission risk, while inter-annual risk variation is influenced by virus/vector hosts, host community structure, and weather variations.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Stella A. Atim, Shirin Ashraf, Sandra Belij-Rammerstorfer, Anna R. Ademun, Patrick Vudriko, Teddy Nakayiki, Marc Niebel, James Shepherd, Stephen Balinandi, Gladys Nakanjako, Andrew Abaasa, Paul C. D. Johnson, Steven Odongo, Martin Esau, Milton Bahati, Pontiano Kaleebu, Julius J. Lutwama, Charles Masembe, Teresa Lambe, Emma C. Thomson, Robert Tweyongyere
Summary: The study reveals a high prevalence of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in livestock farming communities in Uganda, with factors such as livestock farming, age, and collecting/eating engorged ticks associated with human seropositivity. This emphasizes the importance of further surveillance and control measures against the disease.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Virology
Jake D'Addiego, Nazif Elaldi, Nadina Wand, Karen Osman, Binnur Koksal Bagci, Emma Kennedy, Ayse Nur Pektas, Eilish Hart, Gillian Slack, Roger Hewson
Summary: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne viral haemorrhagic fever with no licensed drug available. The efficacy of ribavirin against CCHFV remains inconclusive. This study used next-generation sequencing to investigate the mutagenic effect of ribavirin on CCHFV genome during clinical disease. The results suggest that ribavirin, administered at the recommended dose, is unable to induce lethal mutagenesis and reduce viremia in CCHFV infection.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
David W. Hawman, Heinz Feldmann
Summary: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a severe tick-borne illness caused by CCHF virus (CCHFV) infection, with high fatality rates. The disease is reported in multiple regions worldwide, and the expanding range of the tick vector poses increased risk. There is currently no approved vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for CCHF, and the understanding of its pathogenesis is limited. However, recent advancements in animal models and potential therapeutics bring hope for reducing the morbidity and mortality caused by CCHFV.
NATURE REVIEWS MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Arif Ciloglu, Osman Ibis, Alparslan Yildirim, Munir Aktas, Onder Duzlu, Zuhal Onder, Emrah Simsek, Gamze Yetismis, Vincenzo A. Ellis, Abdullah Inci
Summary: The mitochondrial genome of the Mediterranean tick was sequenced and characterized for the first time, revealing important genetic information such as protein-coding genes and tRNAs. Phylogenetic analysis based on tick DNA showed a monophyletic clade of four Hyalomma species, providing insights into their origin and evolution.
TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Raul Cuadrado-Matias, Beatriz Cardoso, Miriam A. Sas, Ignacio Garcia-Bocanegra, Isolde Schuster, David Gonzalez-Barrio, Sven Reiche, Marc Mertens, David Cano-Terriza, Laia Casades-Marti, Saul Jimenez-Ruiz, Jordi Martinez-Guijosa, Yolanda Fierro, Felix Gomez-Guillamon, Christian Gortazar, Pelayo Acevedo, Martin H. Groschup, Francisco Ruiz-Fons
Summary: The Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus continues to cause new human cases in Iberia, with red deer serving as essential hosts for the Hyalomma ticks that are the main competent vectors for the virus. The study has identified ecological determinants of the virus and created an accurate model to assess the risk of infection.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Stella A. Atim, Marc Niebel, Shirin Ashraf, Patrick Vudriko, Steven Odongo, Stephen Balinandi, Peace Aber, Ronald Bameka, Anna R. Ademun, Charles Masembe, Robert Tweyongyere, Emma C. Thomson
Summary: Following a human case of CCHF in Lyantonde district, Uganda, a detailed outbreak investigation in the animal population revealed a high circulation of CCHFV among cattle and goats, increasing the environmental risk for future human infections. Therefore, surveillance programs for CCHF in this area and the Ugandan cattle corridor are recommended to prevent and control further cases.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
A. Schulz, Y. Barry, F. Stoek, M. J. Pickin, A. Ba, L. Chitimia-Dobler, M. L. Haki, B. A. Doumbia, A. Eisenbarth, A. Diambar, M. Y. Bah, M. Eiden, M. H. Groschup
Summary: In 2018, Hyalomma ticks collected from four different livestock herds in Mauritania tested positive for CCHFV, with a prevalence of 2.56%. The study revealed the presence of two different CCHFV lineages and highlighted the importance of tracking the actual circulation area of this virus.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Angela Fanelli, Domenico Buonavoglia, Gianvito Lanave, Federica Monaco, Vincenzo Quaranta, Roberta Catanzariti, Francisco Ruiz-Fons, Canio Buonavoglia
Summary: This study reports the first detection of anti-Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) antibodies in transhumant bovines in Italy. The detection of antibodies in indigenous cattle indicates the occurrence of infection in the study area. Further studies are needed to identify areas at higher risk of zoonotic infection.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Furqan Munir, Amna Shakoor, Zia Ud Din Sindhu, Muhammad Tahir Aleem
Summary: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is a serious viral infection transmitted by ticks, leading to severe illness and death. The virus can be transmitted through tick bites, infected tissues, or blood of viremic animals, as well as from infected humans to others. serological studies indicate the presence of the virus in various animals, posing a risk for disease transmission.
MICROBIAL PATHOGENESIS
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Dejan Jakimovski, Krsto Grozdanovski, Goran Rangelov, Verica Pavleva, Pavle Banovit, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz, Katerina Spasovska
Summary: The last reported case of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in North Macedonia occurred over 50 years ago in the northwest region. However, a recent fatal case of CCHF was reported in July 2023 in the eastern part of the country, following a tick bite from Hyalomma ticks. Contact tracing identified one healthcare worker (HCW) who had contracted CCHF while providing care for the patient. As of now, 28 days after the death of the initial case, no further cases have been identified among the monitored contacts, including 11 additional HCW contacts.
Article
Ecology
Antonio J. Carpio, Joao Queiros, Eduardo Laguna, Saul Jimenez-Ruiz, Joaquin Vicente, Paulo C. Alves, Pelayo Acevedo
Summary: European wild rabbit and red-legged partridge are important small game species in Mediterranean ecosystems. The diet of wild boar is influenced by the availability of different food resources, and their consumption of rabbits and partridges varies with seasons and hunting estates.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Paul D. Kasaija, Marinela Contreras, Halid Kirunda, Ann Nanteza, Fredrick Kabi, Swidiq Mugerwa, Jose de la Fuente
Summary: Anti-tick vaccines have been successfully used in Venezuela to reduce tick populations and tick-borne diseases, but have not been adopted in tropical African countries. This article emphasizes the importance of personalized vaccines and suggests that African governments should invest in research for anti-tick vaccines.
Editorial Material
Immunology
Agustin Estrada-Pena, Jose de la Fuente
Summary: Ticks and tick-borne diseases have a global impact on human and animal health. This study used scientometric analysis to evaluate trends and gaps in anti-tick vaccine research. The analysis revealed the need for new candidates for vaccine development, the lack of participation from African and Asian countries, and the importance of sustained and integrated research.
Article
Microbiology
Jehan Zeb, Baolin Song, Haytham Senbill, Muhammad Umair Aziz, Sabir Hussain, Munsif Ali Khan, Ishtiaq Qadri, Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz, Jose de la Fuente, Olivier Andre Sparagano
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive report on ticks infesting dogs in Pakistan, including the epidemiological and phylogenetic aspects of these ticks. The mitochondrial markers cox1 and 16S rRNA were used for molecular characterization of the tick species. The study identified six tick species infesting dogs, including Hyalomma dromedarii, Hyalomma excavatum, Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l., Rhipicephalus turanicus s.s., Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides, and Rhipicephalus microplus.
Article
Biology
Xander O'Neill, Andy White, Christian Gortazar, Francisco Ruiz-Fons
Summary: Tick-borne diseases are becoming a growing concern in global public health due to the geographical expansion and increase in abundance of tick-borne infectious agents. This study develops a model framework to understand the link between host density, tick demography, and tick-borne pathogen epidemiology.
BULLETIN OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Javier Fernandez-de-Simon, Javier Ferreres, Christian Gortazar
Summary: The effectiveness of wild boar hunting is influenced by the number of hunting posts and the size of the wild boar group. Increasing the number of hunting posts and reducing group size would improve hunting efficacy and help conserve wild boar populations.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Pablo Palencia, Sandra Blome, Ryan K. Brook, Ezio Ferroglio, Yeong-Seok Jo, Annick Linden, Vidal Montoro, Mary-Louise Penrith, Radim Plhal, Joaquin Vicente, Arvo Viltrop, Christian Gortazar
Summary: This article provides an updated global overview on African swine fever (ASF) control in wild boar and feral pigs, taking into account published scientific evidence and expert opinions. A proper surveillance and monitoring scheme is proposed as a requisite for disease control in wildlife, and ASF and wild boar should be monitored in an integrated way. The intervention options and outcomes are reviewed, highlighting the importance of carcass destruction, wild boar culling, and fencing in controlling ASF in wild boar.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Guillermo Carmona, Tamara Burgos, Rafael Barrientos, Sara Martin-Garcia, Clara Munoz, Marta Sanchez-Sanchez, Javier Hernandez-Hernandez, Carlos Palacin, Pablo Quiles, Alberto Moraga-Fernandez, Victor Bandeira, Emilio Virgos, Christian Gortazar, Isabel G. Fernandez de Mera
Summary: Data on SARS-CoV-2 infection in wildlife species is limited. However, high prevalences found in mustelid species justify studying this virus in closely related autochthonous free-ranging European polecats. Analysis of lung samples from roadkilled polecats did not detect SARS-CoV-2 infection, but surveillance in wild carnivores and mustelids is still necessary due to their susceptibility.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Rajesh Man Rajbhandari, Rajindra Napit, Prajwol Manandhar, Roji Raut, Anupama Gurung, Ajit Poudel, Nisha Shrestha, Amir Sadaula, Dibesh Karmacharya, Christian Gortazar, Paulo Celio Alves, Jose de la Fuente, Joao Queiros
Summary: In this study, whole genome sequencing was conducted on Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated from Asian elephants and a human in Chitwan, Nepal. The results showed that the strains belonged to different lineages and were not drug-resistant. This study provides evidence for bidirectional transmission between humans and elephants, highlighting the importance of a One Health approach to tuberculosis prevention and control at the human-animal interface.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
P. Barroso, D. Relimpio, J. A. Zearra, J. J. Ceron, P. Palencia, B. Cardoso, E. Ferreras, M. Escobar, G. Caceres, J. R. Lopez-Olvera, C. Gortazar
Summary: In the context of One Health, Integrated Wildlife Monitoring (IWM) combines wildlife health monitoring (WHM) and host community monitoring to detect emerging infections, examine disease dynamics, and evaluate interventions in complex multi-host and multi-pathogen networks. A nationwide IWM pilot test was conducted in eleven sites representing the habitat diversity of mainland Spain. The results identified differences in biodiversity and host community characteristics among the study sites, with the Eurasian wild boar being the most central species. The study also found a negative relationship between biodiversity and disease risk, although this trend was influenced by specific host community and environmental factors.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Soren Saxmose Nielsen, Julio Alvarez, Paolo Calistri, Elisabetta Canali, Julian Ashley Drewe, Bruno Garin-Bastuji, Jose Luis Gonzales Rojas, Christian Gortazar, Mette S. Herskin, Virginie Michel, Miguel angel Miranda, Barbara Padalino, Paolo Pasquali, Helen Clare Roberts, Hans Spoolder, Karl Stahl, Antonio Velarde, Arvo Viltrop, Christoph Winckler, James Bron, Niels Jorgen Olesen, Hilde Sindre, David Stone, Niccolo Vendramin, Sotiria-Eleni Antoniou, Lisa Kohnle, Alexandra Papanikolaou, Anna Eleonora Karagianni, Dominique Joseph Bicout
Summary: The assessment evaluated Infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) according to the Animal Health Law's criteria, and the outcome is uncertain in terms of IPN's eligibility for Union intervention (50-90% probability) and its categorisation for disease prevention and control (probabilities ranging from 0-99%). The animal species suitable for IPN listing are also provided.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Soren Saxmose Nielsen, Julio Alvarez, Dominique Joseph Bicout, Paolo Calistri, Elisabetta Canali, Julian Ashley Drewe, Bruno Garin-Bastuji, Jose Luis Gonzales Rojas, Christian Gortazar, Mette Herskin, Virginie Michel, Miguel Angel Miranda Chueca, Barbara Padalino, Paolo Pasquali, Helen Clare Roberts, Hans Spoolder, Antonio Velarde, Arvo Viltrop, Christoph Winckler, Cornelia Adlhoch, Inmaculada Aznar, Francesca Baldinelli, Anette Boklund, Alessandro Broglia, Nora Gerhards, Lina Mur, Priyanka Nannapaneni, Karl Stahl
Summary: The epidemiological situation of SARS-CoV-2 in humans and animals is constantly changing. Certain animal species, such as minks, raccoon dogs, cats, ferrets, and hamsters, are known to transmit the virus. In the EU, there has been a decreasing trend in mink farm outbreaks, mainly attributed to human-to-animal transmission. Cats, ferrets, and hamsters are at the highest risk of infection among companion animals. It is important to monitor and control the spread of the virus in animals to prevent potential spill-over into the human population.
Article
Ecology
Pablo Palencia, Pelayo Acevedo, Tim R. R. Hofmeester, Jorge Sereno-Cadierno, Joaquin Vicente
Summary: Motion-sensitive cameras are widely used for non-invasive monitoring, but the estimation of movement parameters is time-consuming. A study on wildlife populations in Europe showed significant intra-species variation in movement parameters, and predicted movement data led to biased density estimates. Therefore, it is recommended that monitoring programs estimate movement parameters and use camera data for accurate density estimates.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Daniela F. Teixeira, Antonio J. Carpio, Luis Miguel Rosalino, Davide Carniato, Carlos Fonseca, Pelayo Acevedo
Summary: This study aims to identify the drivers of distribution for five mesocarnivores in Portugal (e.g., land cover, ecogeographic predictors, mammal prey availability), and understand the influence of Eucalyptus plantations on their range.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Cesar Herraiz, Joaquin Vicente, Christian Gortazar, Pelayo Acevedo
Summary: The management of animal tuberculosis in Spain faces challenges, as the role of wildlife has been overlooked. This study used a Bayesian approach to identify risk factors associated with TB rates in cattle and found that cattle movement and wild boar infection rates are significant factors.
PREVENTIVE VETERINARY MEDICINE
(2023)
