Goats and sheep as sentinels for tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus--epidemiological studies in areas endemic and non-endemic for TBE virus in Germany.

The aim of the study was to examine grazing goats and sheep as specific sentinels for characterization of the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV)-related risk in an area by means of serosurveillance tests in the German federal states Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, Thuringia, North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. A total of 3590 sheep sera and 3793 goat sera was collected in 2003 and 2006-2009 and were examined by ELISA screening and confirmed by serum neutralization test. Considerable differences in seroprevalence were seen between single flocks in districts in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, and Thuringia with values between 0 and 43% which confirmed the patchy pattern of TBEV foci that can range in size from very small to large. The here described serological screening may be a helpful tool for an early warning system of a potential TBEV risk. Testing of 1700 ticks by real-time RT-PCR in two districts in Baden-Wuerttemberg revealed only one positive tick, thus illustrating the problems of expensive and time-consuming tick collection.

Klaus C ，Beer M ，Saier R ，Schau U ，Moog U ，Hoffmann B ，Diller R ，Süss J ... -  《-》

Goats as sentinel hosts for the detection of tick-borne encephalitis risk areas in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland.

Rieille N ，Klaus C ，Hoffmann D ，Péter O ，Voordouw MJ ... -  《BMC Veterinary Research》

Seroprevalence of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in naturally exposed monkeys (Macaca sylvanus) and sheep and prevalence of TBE virus in ticks in a TBE endemic area in Germany.

In a recently published study, a clinical case of severe tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in a monkey (Macaca sylvanus) was described after natural exposure (tick bite) in a TBE endemic area in Germany, and from the tissue of this monkey the strain 'Salem', closely related to the strain 'Neudoerfl', was isolated and characterized. In this study, it was our aim to test all the available data for characterizing a TBE endemic area like TBE cases in humans and animals, TBE virus (TBEV) in ticks, and TBE-positive sera from animals. Sera from 283 monkeys and 100 sheep as well as 294 unfed ticks were collected at the monkey mountain Salem and its surroundings. A seroprevalence of 2.6% in monkeys and 9% in sheep were found. Furthermore, a new real-time RT-PCR method was established and used, in combination with an already published RT-qPCR, for TBEV genome detection in field-collected ticks, but no TBEV could be detected in the ticks tested.

Klaus C ，Hoffmann B ，Beer M ，Müller W ，Stark B ，Bader W ，Stiasny K ，Heinz FX ，Süss J ... -  《-》

Can goats be used as sentinels for tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in nonendemic areas? Experimental studies and epizootiological observations.

Klaus C ，Hoffmann B ，Moog U ，Schau U ，Beer M ，Süss J ... -  《-》

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in Germany--epidemiological data, development of risk areas and virus prevalence in field-collected ticks and in ticks removed from humans.

Süss J ，Schrader C ，Falk U ，Wohanka N ... -  《INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY》