The challenge of West Nile virus in Europe: knowledge gaps and research priorities
Eurosurveillance·
- DOI
- 10.2807/1560-7917.es2015.20.20.21135
- PMID
- 26027485
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- W2111213827
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC)
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The review identifies geographic classification of endemic and infection-free areas as relevant to development of human vaccines and therapeutics and to blood and organ safety measures. It supports prioritising integrated, multidisciplinary research on West Nile virus in European and neighbouring settings.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The review examines the state of knowledge about West Nile virus in Europe and identifies priority gaps concerning its circulation, ecology, genetic diversity, pathogenicity, transmission, diagnosis, and control.
Study design
This is a peer-reviewed narrative review based on an analysis of 118 scientific papers published from 2004 through 2014. It was prepared as a joint initiative involving European experts.
Population and setting
The review concerns West Nile virus in Europe and neighbouring countries, including settings described as endemic, infection-free, or affected by introduction and spillover.
Main findings
The review describes ongoing geographic spread, increased spillover events, and introduction of the virus into new European areas. It also reports substantial genetic diversity and identifies unresolved research needs across virus ecology, transmission, disease mechanisms, diagnosis, and control.
Public-health relevance
The review identifies geographic classification of endemic and infection-free areas as relevant to development of human vaccines and therapeutics and to blood and organ safety measures. It supports prioritising integrated, multidisciplinary research on West Nile virus in European and neighbouring settings.
Important limitations
The supplied material describes a review based on papers published between 2004 and 2014, so its evidence base is bounded by that literature and period. This summary relies only on the supplied single-article abstract and metadata; the original paper is required for decision-grade interpretation of methods, study selection, and detailed evidence.
GIDS interpretation
This article is discoverable under West Nile virus, surveillance, outbreak investigation, climate and environment, and One Health classifications. It provides historical research context and identifies evidence gaps, but it does not establish or validate a current surveillance signal.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 9 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.