2026-10-10T06:20:41Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33828964 2026-09-16T05:35:07Z category_8 portal_316 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

Table 1_Detection and genomic characterization of West Nile virus lineage 2 in captive harbor seals in southern Italy.docx Claudio de Martinis (11010196) Lorena Cardillo (11010193) Marta Giovanetti (3137202) Alessia Pucciarelli (24961288) Gerardo Picazio (24961291) Maurizio Viscardi (11010199) Loredana Cozzolino (24961294) Sara Cavaliere (1912612) Alessia Napolitano (24961297) Maria Lella (24961300) Maria Dimatteo (23582221) Barbara Degli Uberti (13945671) Pasquale Silvestre (24961312) Evaristo Di Napoli (17293927) Nicola D’Alessio (291386) Esterina De Carlo (4446082) WNV One Health Surveillance Network (24961315) Giorgio Galiero (3818473) Giuseppe Iovane (339969) Orlando Paciello (296217) Giovanna Fusco (9690203) Microbiology fatal cases genetic characterization harbor seals lineage 2 West Nile virus Introduction<p>West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus maintained in bird–mosquito cycles, with occasional spillover events causing neuroinvasive disease in humans and animals. This study describes two fatal cases of WNV lineage 2 infection in captive harbor seals housed in a zoological park in southern Italy, together with genomic characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the detected strains.</p>Methods<p>Harbor seals were tested using multiplex real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the simultaneous detection of WNV lineage 1 and lineage 2. Selected extracts were further analyzed by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). Next-generation sequencing was performed, and the resulting sequences were subjected to phylogenetic analysis. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) light trap was used for targeted mosquito collection near the fence of the dead harbor seals, and female mosquitoes were screened for WNV. Histopathological examination was also performed in one seal.</p>Results<p>WNV lineage 2 RNA was detected in central nervous system tissues of both seals and in a pool of female Culex pipiens collected near the fence. Near-complete WNV genomes clustered with contemporary southern Italian strains and were consistent with local viral circulation.</p>Discussion<p>These findings document WNV lineage 2 infection associated with fatal neurological disease in harbor seals, expanding current knowledge of the host range of this virus and providing complementary in situ entomological and genomic evidence. Overall, this study highlights the value of an integrated One Health surveillance approach in zoological parks.</p> 2026-09-16T05:35:07Z Dataset Dataset 10.3389/fmicb.2026.1937304.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Table_1_Detection_and_genomic_characterization_of_West_Nile_virus_lineage_2_in_captive_harbor_seals_in_southern_Italy_docx/33828964 CC BY 4.0