Detection of West Nile virus lineage 2 in North-Eastern Spain (Catalonia)

Funding: Departament d'Agricultura, Ramaderia, Pesca i Alimentació of the Generalitat de Catalunya; Ministerio de Agricultura y Pesca, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente (MAPAMA)In September 2017, West Nile virus () lineage 2 was detected in Catalonia (Northern Spain) in northern goshawks by passive surveillance. The phylogenetic analyses showed that it was related to the Central/Southern European strains, evidencing lineage 2 spread to Western Europe. local transmission was later detected in bearded vultures housed at the Wildlife Recovery center where the goshawk was transferred to. Further studies, before the following period of high mosquito activity, indicated that had circulated intensively in poultry and horses but only surrounding of the area where the virus was detected. In other areas of Catalonia, circulation of flaviviruses different to was identified. Public Health investigations failed to detect infection in humans