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- Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus circulating among sheep of Portugal: a nationwide serosurvey assessmentPublication . Mesquita, João; Cruz, Rita; Esteves, Fernando; Santos, Carla; Pousa, Humberto; Coelho, Catarina; Mega, Cristina; Nóbrega, Carmen; Vala, Helena; Peyrefitte, Christophe Nicolas; Nascimento, Maria São José; Barradas, Patrícia FerreiraCrimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a widespread zoonotic pathogen that can cause mild to severe hemorrhagic disease in humans. CCHFV may be transmitted through direct contact with tissue or blood of viremic animals; however, the primary transmission route is through infected tick bites. CCHFV RNA has been detected in ticks feeding on domestic and wild animals in western Spain, suggesting an established circulation of CCHFV in Western Europe. Ruminants have been recognized as important CCHFV reservoirs and have been linked to human cases in endemic regions. Given the emergence of CCHF in neighboring Spain, and a report of two CCHFV seropositive humans in southern Portugal in 1985, we investigated the potential circulation of this virus in the country by performing a nationwide anti-CCHFV IgG serosurvey in sentinel sheep of Portugal. Sera (n = 459) randomly selected from widely distributed farms (n = 20) of Portugal were tested using a commercial double-antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, yielding an overall seroprevalence of 0.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.04-1.56%). Positive sheep were from the southern region of Portugal (Alentejo region), which raise the seroprevalence of this region to 0.74% (95% CI 0.09-2.66%). This is the first study reporting the presence of CCHFV antibodies in sheep of Portugal, thus suggesting a geographical expansion of CCHFV to this country. It seems likely that CCHFV may exist focally in southern Portugal.
- Molecular evidence of sporadic Coxiella burnetii excretion in sheep milk, central PortugalPublication . Pires, Humberto; Santos-Silva, Sérgio; Cruz, Andreia V.S.; Cardoso, Luís; Lopes, Ana Patrícia; Pereira, Maria; Nóbrega, Carmen; Mega, Cristina; Santos, Carla; Cruz, Rita; Esteves, Fernando; Vala, Helena; Matos, Ana Cristina; Barradas, Patrícia F.; Coelho, Ana Cláudia; Mesquita, João R.Coxiella burnetii is the etiologic agent of Q fever, a worldwide zoonosis. Cattle, sheep and goats are considered the main reservoirs of the disease. Transmission to humans occurs mainly through the inhalation of infectious aerosols from milk, faeces, urine, and birth products from infected ruminants. In this study, a 2-year longitudinal approach was performed to ascertain the excretion of C. burnetii in bulk tank milk samples of sheep from a mountain plateau in central Portugal, with sampling conducted during the years 2015 and 2016. From a total of 156 bulk tank milk samples tested by qPCR, only one showed to be positive for C. burnetii (1.28% [95%CI: 0.03–6.94]), from 2015, the first year of collection. Bidirectional sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of IS1111 transposase partial region confirmed the presence of C. burnetii DNA. The presence of C. burnetii in raw milk samples highlights the necessity for additional research to determine if raw milk is a potential source for human infection. Animal health surveillance and prevention measures against this zoonotic disease should be considered.