Clinical trial NCT05294003: West Nile Virus Seroprevalence Under Bird Ringers
Official title: Prevalence of West Nile Virus and Usutu Virus Serum Antibodies in Dutch Bird Ringers
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: West Nile Virus
Lead sponsor: Leiden University Medical Center
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Erasmus Medical Center
name: UMC Utrecht
name: Leiden University
name: Netherlands Institute of Ecology
First posted: 2022-03-24
Enrollment: 162
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Bird ringers from the Netherlands (about 580 licensed ringers and about 100 additional trainees or helpers)

Brief summary: In August 2020, West Nile Virus (WNV) was isolated from a live common whitethroat for the first time in The Netherlands. Follow-up sampling showed that the virus could also be detected in mosquitos from the same location during at least a whole month of sampling. On 15 October 2020, one case of West Nile virus infection has been reported in a man who was likely infected in the Utrecht region. This is the first time that a locally acquired human case of WNV infection has been reported in The Netherlands. Six additional cases have been identified, one of which from the region Arnhem. West Nile virus infection is a mosquito-borne zoonosis. The disease, which has spread across the Northern Hemisphere in the past three decades, is now found on an annual basis in many European countries where the centre of gravity lies in Southern-European countries. Recently, WNV was reported for the first time in Germany. The virus is transmitted among birds through the bite of infected mosquitoes and incidentally infects humans and other mammals, such as horses. Around 80% of human WNV infections are asymptomatic. The most common clinical presentation is West Nile fever but, older people and immunocompromised persons are at higher risk of developing neuro-invasive disorders (West Nile neuroinvasive disease). Currently, there are no prophylaxis or specific treatment against the disease in humans. In addition, Usutu virus (USUV) was detected in The Netherlands in 2016. USUV is another flavivirus, related to WNV, and also capable of infecting humans. Disease associated with USUV infection in humans appears to be milder and only limited number of cases have been identified. During their bird catching activities, bird ringers are intensively exposed to mosquito bites at the natural habitat of the birds and at the same time of the day when mosquitoes are particularly active. The aim of this study is therefore to determine the prevalence of WNV and USUV serum antibodies in bird ringers in The Netherlands.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Carrying-out bird ringing activities during spring, summer or early autumn 2020 in The Netherlands

Exclusion Criteria:

* Not willing to participate in this study
* Using medication interfering with antibodies production
* Under 18 years of age

Primary outcomes:
measure: The proportion of individuals with neutralising antibodies against WNV by region
timeFrame: One blood sample collected between June and September 2021
measure: The proportion of individuals with neutralising antibodies against USUV by region
timeFrame: One blood sample collected between June and September 2021
Secondary outcomes:
measure: The proportion of individuals with IgM antibodies against WNV
timeFrame: One blood sample collected between June and September 2021
measure: The proportion of individuals with IgG antibodies against WNV
timeFrame: One blood sample collected between June and September 2021
measure: The proportion of individuals with IgM antibodies against USUV
timeFrame: One blood sample collected between June and September 2021
measure: The proportion of individuals with IgG antibodies against USUV
timeFrame: One blood sample collected between June and September 2021
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Leiden
country: Netherlands
facility: Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC)
Study officials:
affiliation: LUMC
name: Chiara de Bellegarde
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
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