TY - JOUR AU - Kurkela, Satu AU - Rätti, Osmo AU - Huhtamo, Eili AU - Uzcátegui, Nathalie Y. AU - Nuorti, J. Pekka AU - Laakkonen, Juha AU - Manni, Tytti AU - Helle, Pekka AU - Vaheri, Antti AU - Vapalahti, Olli T1 - Sindbis Virus Infection in Resident Birds, Migratory Birds, and Humans, Finland T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2008 VL - 14 IS - 1 SP - 41 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Sindbis virus (SINV), a mosquito-borne virus that causes rash and arthritis, has been causing outbreaks in humans every seventh year in northern Europe. To gain a better understanding of SINV epidemiology in Finland, we searched for SINV antibodies in 621 resident grouse, whose population declines have coincided with human SINV outbreaks, and in 836 migratory birds. We used hemagglutination-inhibition and neutralization tests for the bird samples and enzyme immunoassays and hemagglutination-inhibition for the human samples. SINV antibodies were first found in 3 birds (red-backed shrike, robin, song thrush) during their spring migration to northern Europe. Of the grouse, 27.4% were seropositive in 2003 (1 year after a human outbreak), but only 1.4% were seropositive in 2004. Among 2,529 persons, the age-standardized seroprevalence (1999–2003) was 5.2%; seroprevalence and incidence (1995–2003) were highest in North Karelia (eastern Finland). Grouse may contribute to the epidemiology of SINV in humans. KW - alphavirus KW - arbovirus KW - birds KW - Sindbis virus KW - viral arthritis KW - zoonosis KW - research KW - Finland DO - 10.3201/eid1401.070510 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/14/1/07-0510_article ER - End of Reference