Usutu virus continues to spread across Europe: first report of multiple molecular detections of the USUV Africa 2 and Africa 3 lineages in free-living and captive birds in Poland, July–November 2023

Abstract

The growing importance of the Usutu virus (USUV) as an emerging zoonotic viral pathogen motivated Poland to investigate the epidemiological status of USUV infections among native bird species. Consequently, out of the 357 birds tested, 34 avian individuals from different geographical areas of the country were confirmed to be USUV-positive by RT‒PCR between July and November 2023. The phylogenetic analysis revealed the first recorded occurrence of the USUV Africa 2 and Africa 3 genetic lineages in Poland.