Publication details
Biogeography of tick-borne Bhanja virus (Bunyaviridae) in Europe.
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2009 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ipid/2009/372691.html |
| Description | Bhanja virus (BHAV) is pathogenic for young domestic ruminants and also for humans, causing fever and affections of the central nervous system. This generally neglected but veterinary important arbovirus of the family Bunyaviridae is transmitted by metastriate ticks of the genera Haemaphysalis, Dermacentor, Hyalomma, Rhipicephalus, Boophilus, and Amblyomma. Geographic distribution of BHAV covers southern and Central Asia, Africa, and southern (partially also central) Europe. Comparative biogeographic study of eight known natural foci of BHAV infections in Europe (in Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria, Slovakia) has revealed their common features. Based on the analysis, as 'predictors' of potential BHAV areas in Europe have been established following groups of factors: (1) submediterranean climatic pattern with dry growing season and wet mild winter (or microlimatically similar conditions, e.g. limestone karst areas in central Europe); (2) xerothermic woodland–grassland ecosystem, with plant alliances Quercetalia pubescentis, Festucetalia valesiacae, Brometalia erecti, involving pastoral areas on undulating to hilly relief with regular grazing of ruminants; (3) presence of at least one of the metastriate tick species Haemaphysalis punctata, Dermacentor marginatus, Rhipicephalus bursa and/or Hyalomma marginatum; (4) presence of at least 60% of the 180 species suggested as BHAV bioindicators (157 plant, 4 ixodid tick, and 19 vertebrate spp.). On that basis, Greece, France (southern, including Corsica), Albania, Spain, Hungary, European Turkey, Ukraine (southern), Switzerland (southern), Austria (southeastern), Germany (southern), Moldova, and European Russia (southern) have been estimated as additional European regions where BHAV might occur. |