Sindbis Virus Infection in Resident Birds, Migratory Birds, and Humans, Finland

Sindbis virus (SINV), a mosquito-borne virus that causes rash and arthritis, has been causing outbreaks in humans every seventh year in northern Europe. To gain a better understanding of SINV epidemiology in Finland, we searched for SINV antibodies in 621 resident grouse, whose population declines h...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Emerging Infectious Diseases
Main Authors: Satu Kurkela, Osmo Rätti, Eili Huhtamo, Nathalie Y. Uzcátegui, J. Pekka Nuorti, Juha Laakkonen, Tytti Manni, Pekka Helle, Antti Vaheri, Olli Vapalahti
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2008
Subjects:
alphavirus
arbovirus
birds
Sindbis virus
viral arthritis
zoonosis
Medicine
R
Infectious and parasitic diseases
RC109-216
karelia*
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1401.070510
https://doaj.org/article/38168e8594504eb5a4b6f1e86d4e37cf
Description
Summary:Sindbis virus (SINV), a mosquito-borne virus that causes rash and arthritis, has been causing outbreaks in humans every seventh year in northern Europe. To gain a better understanding of SINV epidemiology in Finland, we searched for SINV antibodies in 621 resident grouse, whose population declines have coincided with human SINV outbreaks, and in 836 migratory birds. We used hemagglutination-inhibition and neutralization tests for the bird samples and enzyme immunoassays and hemagglutination-inhibition for the human samples. SINV antibodies were first found in 3 birds (red-backed shrike, robin, song thrush) during their spring migration to northern Europe. Of the grouse, 27.4% were seropositive in 2003 (1 year after a human outbreak), but only 1.4% were seropositive in 2004. Among 2,529 persons, the age-standardized seroprevalence (1999–2003) was 5.2%; seroprevalence and incidence (1995–2003) were highest in North Karelia (eastern Finland). Grouse may contribute to the epidemiology of SINV in humans.

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