新兴的蜱传病毒,如Powassan病毒(POWV),波旁病毒(BRBV),和心脏地带病毒(HRTV),虽然罕见,会对人类造成严重的健康问题。虽然迄今为止在弗吉尼亚州报道的临床病例有限,蜱病毒的存在构成了严重的健康威胁,他们在弗吉尼亚州的流行程度是未知的。这里,我们寻找POWV的证据,BRBV,以及通过对野生动物和牲畜的血清学评估在弗吉尼亚州的HRTV暴露。发现弗吉尼亚州的野生动物对POWV呈血清阳性(18%),BRBV(8%),和HRTV(5%),该州西部和北部地区的患病率较高。已显示多种野生动植物物种已暴露于所检查的每种病毒中。在较小程度上,牛也暴露于蜱传病毒,血清效价为1%,1.2%,在牛身上检测到8%对抗POWV,BRBV,和HRTV,分别。排除了对其他已知的蚊子传播的黄病毒的交叉反应。总之,弗吉尼亚西部和北部普遍接触蜱病毒,接触不同范围的动物种群。我们的研究首次证实了HRTV在英联邦流通。这些发现加强了弗吉尼亚州新出现的蜱传病毒的现有证据,并强调了公共卫生警惕以避免蜱叮咬的必要性。
Emerging tick-borne viruses such as Powassan virus (POWV), Bourbon virus (BRBV), and Heartland virus (HRTV), whilst rare, can cause severe health problems in humans. While limited clinical cases have been reported thus far in Virginia, the presence of tick-borne viruses poses a serious health threat, and the extent of their prevalence in Virginia is unknown. Here, we sought evidence of POWV, BRBV, and HRTV exposure in Virginia via a serological assessment of wildlife and livestock. Wildlife in Virginia were found to be seropositive against POWV (18%), BRBV (8%), and HRTV (5%), with western and northern regions of the state having a higher prevalence. Multiple wildlife species were shown to have been exposed to each virus examined. To a lesser extent, cattle also showed exposure to tick-borne viruses, with seroprevalences of 1%, 1.2%, and 8% detected in cattle against POWV, BRBV, and HRTV, respectively. Cross-reactivity against other known circulating mosquito-borne flaviviruses was ruled out. In conclusion, there is widespread exposure to tick-borne viruses in western and northern Virginia, with exposure to a diverse range of animal populations. Our study provides the first confirmation that HRTV is circulating in the Commonwealth. These findings strengthen the existing evidence of emerging tick-borne viruses in Virginia and highlight the need for public health vigilance to avoid tick bites.