impaginato piccolo - Società Italiana di Parassitologia (SoIPa)

110
cumstances of isolation of Bahig and Matruh viruses in
Italy seemed to confirm this hypothesis.
Sandfly-borne virus
During World War Il, an outbreak of febrile illness
occurred among USA military troops in Southern ltaly.
From the blood of some patients, Sabin isolated two
strains of viruses, the Sandfly Fever Naples virus and
the Sandfly Fever Sicilian virus (Sabin et al., 1944).
Since then, the two agents have been isolated from the
sand fly Phlebotomus papatasi in several
Mediterranean countries. Their circulation in Italy was
probably terminated after the antimalaric campaign
conducted in the late forties.
In 1973, a new virus (Toscana virus), serologically
related to the Sandfly Fever Naples virus, was isolated
from a pool of P. perniciosus sandflies collected in the
Tuscany region (Verani et al., 1980). The Toscana virus
has been associated with human acute CNS disease
occurring during the period June-October with a peak
in August (in the same month its vector sandflies have
their peak of activity).
The virus is present in at least eight different regions of
Central and Northern Italy (Tuscany, Marche, Abruzzo,
Emilia Romagna, Umbria, Piedmont, Campania and
Sardinia). The virus is largely diffuse: high levels of
antibodies against Toscana virus have been found in
healthy populations of endemic areas, suggesting that
the virus can also be the cause of an infection with only
minor symptoms of disease.
More than 100 different strains have been isolated
from wild-caught sand flies of the P. perniciosus and P.
perfiliewi species, and several strains have also been
isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of patients.
(Nicoletti et al, 1991)
Two more viruses have been isolated from the same
sand flies in the same areas: the Phlebovirus Arbia and
the Vesiculovirus Radi. The Arbia virus is largely diffuse
in the sand fly populations but only low levels of
antibodies have been found in humans and no disease
could be associated with its infection (Verani et al.,
1988).
Little work has been done with the Radi virus. The
virus has been isolated several times from sand flies but
no antibodies have been found in humans and no
human disease has been associated with it (Ciufolini et
al., 1990).
Tick-borne viruses
TBE-virus. The first evidence of the presence of the
TBE virus in Italy was obtained in 1967 on the basis of
serologic surveys in Northern (Gorizia province) and
Central Italy (Latina province) (Balducci et al., 1967;
Verani et al., 1967). Subsequently, extensive studies
were performed in Central and Northern Italy. Acute
infection of central nervous system (CNS) disease were
diagnosed in the Florence province of Toscana Region
and in Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli and Veneto where
L. Nicoletti et al. - Arbovirus in Italy
the most active focus is present. Field studies in these
areas allowed for isolation of strains of TBE virus from
pools of Ixodes ricinus ticks and from Apodemus sylvaticus
mouse (Verani et al, 1991).
Bhanja virus. Bhanja virus (an ungrouped tick-borne
virus) was repeatedly isolated from pools of
Haemaphysalis punctata collected collected in Central
Italy (in 1967 and 1973 in the Latina province, in 1977
in the Florence province). Serologic evidence of the circulation
of this virus has been obtained in many areas
of Northern, Central and Southern Italy. The highest
prevalence was found in goats and sheep, but low levels
of antibodies were also found in cattle, humans,
wild rodents and birds. No human disease has been
associated with this virus in our country. (Verani et al,
1970)
Tribec virus. The Orbivirus Tribec was isolated from
Rhipicephalus bursa ticks collected in 1972 in
Northern Italy (Gorizia province) and in 1977 in
CentraI Italy (Siena province). No serologic survey on
its distribution has been performed (Verani et al.,
1978).
Thogoto virus. The Orthomyxovirus Thogoto was isolated
from R. bursa ticks collected in 1969 in Sicily.
The occurrence of antibodies to this virus in sera of cattle
and sheep from different zones of Western Sicily has
been reported (Albanese et al., 1971; 1972).
References
Albanese M, Bruno Smiraglia C, Di Cuonzo G, Lavagnino A and
Srihongse S (1972). Isolation of Thogoto virus from
Rhipicephalus bursa ticks in Western Sicily. Acta Virol 16: 267.
Albanese M, Di Cuonzo G, Randazzo G, Srihongse S and Tringali
G (1971). Survey for arbovirus antibodies in domestic animals of
Western Sicily. Ann Sclavo 13: 641-647.
Autorino GL, Battisti A, Deubel V, Ferrari G, Forletta R, Giovannini A,
Lelli R, Murri S, Scicluna MT. West Nile virus epidemic in horses,
Tuscany region, Italy. Emerg Infect Dis. (2002) 12:1372-1378.
Balducci M, Verani P, Lopes MC and Gregorig B (1967). Survey for
antibodies against arthropod-borne viruses in man and animals
in Italy. II. Serologic status of human beings in a Northern Italian
region (Gorizia province). Am J Trop Med Hyg 16: 2111-2115.
Balducci M, Verani P, Lopes MC and Gregorig B. (1973): Isolation
in Italy of Bahig and Matruh viruses (Tete group) from migratory
birds. Ann. Microbiol. (Inst. Pasteur) 124 B, 231-237.
Balducci M, Verani P, Lopes MC, Saccà G and Gregorig B (1968).
Isolation of Tahyna virus from Aedes mosquitoes in Northern
Italy (Gorizia province). Acta Virol 12: 457-459.
Ciufolini MG, Maroli M, Miceli N, Nicoletti L, Cecchetti S, Amore R,
Percopo S, Verani P (1990). Monitoring of Phlebotominae sandflies-transmitted
viruses activity in Marche region (Italy). Arbo
Info Exch December 1990 (Newsletter): 58-59.
Nicoletti L., Verani P., Caciolli S., Ciufolini M.G., Renzi A.,
Bartolozzi D., Paci P., Leoncini F., Padovani P., Traini E.,
Baldereschi M. and Balducci M. Central nervous system
involvement during infection by Phlebovirus Toscana of residents
in natural foci in Central Italy (1977-1988). Am. J. Trop.
Med. Hyg. 45: 429-434, 1991
Rezza G , Nicoletti L , Angelini R, Romi R, Finarelli AC, Panning M,