@article{fdi:010078056,
  title = {{E}xperimental infection of dogs with {T}oscana virus and sandfly fever {S}icilian virus to determine their potential as possible vertebrate hosts},
  author = {{M}unoz, {C}. and {A}yhan, {N}azli and {O}rtuno, {M}. and {O}rtiz, {J}. and {G}ould, {E}. {A}. and {M}aia, {C}. and {B}erriatua, {E}. and {C}harrel, {R}. {N}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he sandfly-borne {T}oscana phlebovirus ({TOSV}), a close relative of the sandfly fever {S}icilian phlebovirus ({SFSV}), is one of the most common causes of acute meningitis or meningoencephalitis in humans in the {M}editerranean {B}asin. {H}owever, most of human phlebovirus infections in endemic areas either are asymptomatic or cause mild influenza-like illness. {T}o date, a vertebrate reservoir for sandfly-borne phleboviruses has not been identified. {D}ogs are a prime target for blood-feeding phlebotomines and are the primary reservoir of human sandfly-borne {L}eishmania infantum. {H}owever, there are no definitive studies to assess whether dogs play a significant role as a reservoir host for human phlebovirus survival in the environment. {H}ere, we have evaluated the susceptibility of domestic dogs to infection by {TOSV} and {SFSV} following the direct inoculation of the infectious virus. {A}fter experimental infection, the presence of viral {RNA} was investigated in plasma, urine, saliva, conjunctiva, faeces, semen, and bone marrow samples from 0 to 91 days postinoculation (dpi), as well as in plasma, saliva, and tears samples at 760 dpi. {N}one of the challenged dogs developed clinical signs of infection with either {TOSV} or {SFSV}. {SFSV} {RNA} was never detected. {TOSV} {RNA} was not in any of the specimen types, except for plasma samples that showed low viral loads, although irregularly. {N}one of the dogs developed detectable neutralizing antibodies after a single challenge dose of either {TOSV} or {SFSV}. {H}owever, a second challenge dose of virus given 56 days later elicited neutralizing antibodies, implying that the first inoculation of virus primed the animals for an anamnestic response following the second challenge. {T}hese results demonstrated that healthy domestic dogs are not highly susceptible to infection by {TOSV} or {SFSV} and do not develop significant viremia or excrete virus following infection. {C}onsequently, dogs are unlikely natural reservoir hosts of infection and do not appear to play a significant role in phlebovirus transmission cycles.},
  keywords = {host ; reservoir ; natural cycle ; {P}henuiviridae ; bunyavirales ; experimental infection ; immunity ; neutralizing antibodies ; sandfly ; {P}hlebotomus ; leishmaniasis ; meningitis},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{M}icroorganisms},
  volume = {8},
  numero = {4},
  pages = {art. 596 [10]},
  year = {2020},
  DOI = {10.3390/microorganisms8040596},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010078056},
}