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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 77(2), 2007, pp. 358-364
Copyright © 2007 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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Serologic Evidence of West Nile Virus Infections in Wild Birds Captured in Germany

Sonja Linke, Matthias Niedrig, Andreas Kaiser, Heinz Ellerbrok, Kerstin Müller, Thomas Müller, Franz Josef Conraths, Ralf-Udo Mühle, Daniel Schmidt, Ulrich Köppen, Franz Bairlein, Peter Berthold, AND Georg Pauli*
Zentrum für Biologische Sicherheit 1, Robert Koch-Institut, Berlin, Germany; Department V (Ecology), Institute for Zoology, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany; Department of Veterinary Medicine, Small Animal Clinic, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute for Epidemiology, Wusterhausen, Germany; Ökologische Station Gülpe, Universität Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany; NABU Center for Bird Protection, Mössingen, Germany; Landesamt für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Geologie Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Beringungszentrale, Greifswald, Germany; Institute of Avian Research, Vogelwarte Helgoland, Wilhelmshaven, Germany; Max Planck Research Centre of Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Radolfzell, Germany

To assess the risk of acquiring a West Nile virus (WNV) infection in Germany, we investigated samples from migrating and from resident birds. Because of their stay in or migration through WNV-endemic regions, these birds are at risk to become infected with WNV. Blood samples from 3,399 birds, representing 87 bird species, were collected in Germany in 2000 and in 2002–2005. Overall, 53 birds belonging to 5 species had WNV-neutralizing antibodies. Fifty-nine birds belonging to 9 species were reactive by WNV immunofluorescence assay, and 8 birds had neutralizing antibodies against Usutu virus. Because of maternal antibody transfer via egg yolk, WNV-antibody titers in white stork nestlings were generally lower than those in adults. Despite a relatively high percentage of stork nestlings with antibodies, no viral genomes were detectable by polymerase chain reaction. In Germany, the prevalence of antibodies to WNV in migrating birds wintering in Africa or southern Europe is comparatively low.

Received January 8, 2007. Accepted for publication May 3, 2007.

Acknowledgments: We thank I. Nehlmeier and A. Teichmann for excellent technical support; U. Erikli for careful copyediting; G. Wengler (Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Germany) for providing WNV isolate B956; H. Zeller (Institut Pasteur, Paris, France) for Kunjin virus; H. Bin (Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel) for WNV isolate Israel; T. R. Kreil (Baxter GmbH, Vienna, Austria) for providing WNV isolate New York; M. Pfeffer (Sanitätsakademie der Bundeswehr, Munich, Germany) for providing Usutu virus, strain Vienna; E. Firenzi (Berencsi György National Center for Epidemiology, Budapest, Hungary), C. Banet-Noach (Kimron Veterinary Institute, Beit Dagan, Israel), and M. A. Drebot (Viral Zoonoses, National Microbiology Laboratory, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) for providing WNV-positive bird samples, especially sera from geese; H. Will (Heinrich-Pette-Institute, Hamburg, Germany) for providing blood samples; C. Grund (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany) for supplying hyperimmune serum; K. Sonnenberg (EUROIMMUN AG, Lübeck, Germany) for supplying IFA kits for serologic analysis; R. Altenkamp for capturing adult goshawks; H. Eggers, P. Gottschalk, U. Hilfers, M. Hug, M. M. and M. Kaatz, D. Kasper, S. Martens, B. Metzger, R. Neumann, U. Querner, J. von Rönn, F. Schulz, T. Suckow, I. Todte, H. Trapp, and B. Wuntke for assistance in capturing birds and supporting the study; N. Hagen and C. Schmitt for invaluable assistance in blood sampling; and M. Müller and K. Hattermann for helpful discussions.

Financial support: This study was supported by the German Ministry of Health grant BMGS 115-1720-1/31. The work conducted by Daniel Schmidt was supported by the Deutsche Ornithologen-Gesellschaft DO-G.

* Address correspondence to Georg Pauli, Robert Koch-Institut, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany. E-mail: paulig{at}rki.de

Authors’ addresses: Sonja Linke, Robert Koch-Institut, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany, Telephone: 49-30-1875-42244, Fax: 49-30-1875-42605, E-mail: linkes{at}rki.de. Matthias Niedrig, Robert Koch-Institut, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany, Telephone: 49-30-1875-42370, Fax: 049-30-1875-42625, E-mail: niedrigm{at}rki.de. Andreas Kaiser, Department V (Ecology), Institute for Zoology, University of Mainz, J.-J.-Becher-Weg 13, 55128 Mainz, Germany, Telephone: 49-6131-392-3856, Fax: 49-6131-392-3731, E-mail: dr.andreas.kaiser{at}t-online.de. Heinz Ellerbrok, Robert Koch-Institut, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany, Telephone: 49-30-1875-42258, Fax: 49-30-1875-42605, E-mail: ellerbrokh{at}rki.de. Kerstin Müller, Department of Veterinary Medicine Small Animal Clinic (WE20), Freie Universität Berlin, Oertzenweg 19b, 14163 Berlin, Germany, Telephone: 49-30-8386-2422, Fax: 49-30-8386-2521, E-mail: MuellerKerstin{at}gmx.de. Thomas Müller, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute for Epidemiology, Seestraße 55, 16868 Wusterhausen, Germany, Telephone: 49-33979-80186, Fax: 49-33979-80200, E-mail: thomas.mueller{at}fli.bund.de. Franz Josef Conraths, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute for Epidemiology, Seestraße 55, 16868 Wusterhausen, Germany, Telephone: 49-33979-80176, Fax: 49-33979-80200, E-mail: franz.conraths{at}fli.bund.de. Ralf-Udo Mühle, Ökologische Station Gülpe, Universität Potsdam, 14715 Gülpe, Germany, Telephone: 49-33875-30621, Fax: 49-33875-30752, E-mail: muehle{at}rz.uni-potsdam.de. Daniel Schmidt, NABU-Vogelschutzzentrum Mössingen, Ziegelhütte 21, 72116 Mössingen, Germany, Telephone: 49-7473-1022, Fax: 49-7473-21181, E-mail: schmidt{at}NABU-Vogelschutzzentrum.de. Ulrich Köppen, Landesamt für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Geologie Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Beringungszentrale, Badenstraße 18, 18439 Stralsund, Germany, Telephone: 49-3831-696243, Fax: 49-3831-696249, E-mail: ulrich.koeppen{at}lung.mv-regierung.de. Franz Bairlein, Institute of Avian Research, Vogelwarte Helgoland, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany, Telephone: 49-4421-96890, Fax: 49-4421-968955, E-mail: franz.bairlein{at}ifv.terramare.de. Peter Berthold, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Schlossallee 2, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany, Telephone: 49-7732-15010, Fax: 49-7732-150169, E-mail: berthold{at}orn.mpg.de. Georg Pauli, Robert Koch-Institut, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany, Telephone: 49-30-1875-42310, Fax: 49-30-1875-42605, E-mail: paulig{at}rki.de.




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Copyright © 2007 by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.