Emerging infectious diseases are one of the most important global health challenges because of their impact on human and animal health. The vector-borne West Nile virus (WNV) is transmitted between birds by mosquitos, but it can also infect humans and horses causing disease. The local circulation of WNV in Spain has been known for decades, and since 2010, there have been regular outbreaks in horses, although only six cases were reported in humans until 2019. In 2020, Spain experienced a major outbreak with 77 human cases, which was followed by 6 additional cases in 2021, most of them in the Andalusian region (southern Spain). This study aimed to characterize the genomes of the WNV circulating in wild-trapped mosquitoes during 2020 and 2021 in Andalusia. We sequenced the WNV consensus genome from two mosquito pools and carried out the phylogenetic analyses. We also compared the obtained genomes with those sequenced from human samples obtained during the outbreak and the genomes obtained previously in Spain from birds (2007 and 2017), mosquitoes (2008) and horses (2010) to better understand the eco-epidemiology of WNV in Spain. As expected, the WNV genomes recovered from mosquito pools in 2020 were closely related to those recovered from humans of the same outbreak. In addition, the strain of WNV circulating in 2021 was highly related to the WNV strain that caused the 2020 outbreak, suggesting that WNV is overwintering in the area. Consequently, future outbreaks of the same strain may occur in in the future.

Background: Since mumps vaccination was introduced in 1981 in Spain, the incidence of the disease has dropped significantly. However, cyclic epidemic waves and outbreaks still occur, despite high vaccination coverage. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends genotyping to trace the pattern of mumps virus (MuV) circulation. Genotype H was predominant in Spain, but was replaced in 2005 by genotype G which has subsequently remained dominant. Of the small hydrophobic protein gene sequences, 78% are identical and belong to the MuVi/ Sheffield.GBR.1.05/[G]-variant.Aim:Our study aimed to investigate whether the circulation of MuV strains in Spain was continuous after the emergence of genotype G in 2005.Method:We obtained 46 samples from Spanish patients infected with MuVi/Sheffield.GBR.1.05/[G] during two epidemic waves and analysed them using new molecular markers based on genomic non-coding regions (NCRs) that discriminate subvariants of this virus strain.Results:Phylogenetic analyses of the nucleoprotein–phosphoprotein and matrix protein–fusion protein NCR indicated strain replacement after a drop in incidence in 2009, which had not been detectable by SH sequencing. Clustering of sequences from patients epidemiologically linked in the same outbreak suggests a potential use for these NCRs in outbreak characterisation.Conclusion:We suggest to consider their use in conjunction with the SH gene in the future WHO recommendations for MuV epidemiological surveillance.

Introducción: La parotiditis es una enfermedad frecuente, que sigue causando brotes incluso en poblaciones bien vacunadas. El objetivo de este estudio ha sido describir el patrón epidemiológico de la enfermedad y la calidad de la vigilancia de la parotiditis en España. Método: Fuentes: casos notificados a Red Nacional de Vigilancia Epidemiológica (RENAVE) entre 2005-2022 y resultados del programa de vigilancia microbiológica de parotiditis (PVMP) del Centro Nacional de Microbiología (CNM) entre 2016-2021. Se analizaron los casos por año, comunidad autónoma, sexo, edad, tipo de caso, vacunación e investigación de laboratorio. Se calcularon tasas anuales y de periodo. Del PVMP se analizaron muestras y determinaciones realizadas. Se analizó la cumplimentación de variables y la integración de la información de laboratorio en los casos notificados. Resultados: Se describen tres ondas epidémicas: 2005-2009, 2010-2014 y 2015-2020. La incidencia fue mínima en 2021 recuperándose ligeramente en 2022. La parotiditis afectó fundamentalmente a adolescentes y adultos jóvenes. El 32% de todos los casos estaban vacunados con dos dosis. Solo El 48% de los casos sospechosos investigados se confirmaron La saliva presentó la mayor tasa de positividad de PCR. La cumplimentación es adecuada para variables sociodemográficas, baja para la vacunación y muy baja para la gravedad. La información de laboratorio obtenida en el CNM en general no se notifica a RENAVE. Conclusiones: la parotiditis es una enfermedad frecuente que se debe monitorizar. Toda la información generada en actividades de vigilancia debe integrarse en un mismo sistema que sirva para la acción en salud pública.

Mumps is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by the mumps virus (MuV). However, MuV has re-emerged in many countries with high vaccine coverage. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends molecular surveillance based on sequencing of the small hydrophobic (SH) gene. Additionally, the combined use of SH and non-coding regions (NCR) has been described in different studies, proving to be a useful complement marker to discriminate general patterns of circulation at national and international levels. The aim of this work is to test local-level usefulness of the combination of SH and MF-NCR sequencing in tracing hidden transmission clusters and chains during the last epidemic wave (2015–2020) in Spain. A database with 903 cases from the Autonomous Community of Madrid was generated by the integration of microbiological and epidemiological data. Of these, 453 representative cases were genotyped. Eight different SH variants and thirty-four SH haplotypes were detected. Local MuV circulation showed the same temporal pattern previously described at a national level. Only two of the thirteen previously identified outbreaks were caused by more than one variant/haplotype. Geographical representation of SH variants allowed the identification of several previously undetected clusters, which were analysed phylogenetically by the combination of SH and MF-NCR, in a total of 90 cases. MF-NCR was not able to improve the discrimination of geographical clusters based on SH sequencing, showing limited resolution for outbreak investigations.

España presenta una situación peculiar Europa, ya que nunca se vio afectada por la epizootia europea de rabia vulpina, pero mantiene un tráfico intenso de bienes y personas con territorios altamente endémicos del norte de África, e incluso fronteras terrestres en Ceuta y Melilla, lo que nos coloca en una situación vulnerable en cuanto a importación de casos. Por otra parte, sabemos de la presencia de dos de los lisavirus de murciélago europeos en nuestro territorio. El laboratorio es un elemento esencial en la vigilancia que se hace imprescindible ante esta situación. El Centro Nacional de Microbiología lleva más de treinta años actuando de laboratorio nacional de referencia en apoyo de los laboratorios autonómicos existentes y haciendo diagnóstico para el resto del territorio, además de representar a España en la red europea de laboratorios RABNET. Así, en el CNM se han diagnosticado y caracterizado la gran mayoría de los casos declarados en España en este período, tanto de rabia de murciélagos, como de rabia importada animal y humana. De manera complementaria a esta actividad de vigilancia, se realizan investigaciones tanto sobre rabia canina como de murciélagos, que, desde hace años, se han ampliado a otros agentes víricos asociados a murciélagos.