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SUMMARY:Where have all the blackbirds gone: The UK's first mosquito-borne 
 viral zoonosis
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260615T133000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260615T143000
DTSTAMP:20260608T004913Z
UID:71a39170-ce4e-f111-bec7-6045bdcfe41f
CREATED:20260513T132000Z
DESCRIPTION:Mosquito-borne viruses are emerging in new regions with increa
 sing regularity. Shifting climatic envelopes\, especially in temperate reg
 ions\, and altered enzootic cycles are changing likelihoods of persistence
 \, meaning new approaches are required to predict and monitor establishmen
 t. Usutu virus (USUV) is a mosquito-borne viral zoonosis\, which was first
  recorded in the United Kingdom in wild birds and mosquitoes in 2020. By d
 eveloping a multidisciplinary approach\, incorporating enhanced passive an
 d active surveillance of wild birds and mosquitoes\, we discovered previou
 sly unrecorded introductions and identified USUV persistence and geographi
 c expansion. By combining molecular and serological testing with citizen s
 cience derived datasets\, we show an associated marked decline in a common
 \, widespread\, and highly susceptible host species (Eurasian Blackbird\, 
 Turdus merula). However\, the clearest continuous signal of host populatio
 n decline remains localised to a large urban area\, despite the much wider
  virus distribution. This may be a consequence of an urban heat island eff
 ect and associated increase in length of the mosquito active season. Our r
 esults indicate that the establishment and impact of future mosquito-borne
  pathogens in temperate zones\, anticipated under climate change\, may fir
 st be most apparent in urban areas. Consequently\, enhanced surveillance e
 fforts in urban areas could provide an efficient mechanism for detecting n
 ovel pathogen emergence.\n\nBio Sketch:\n\nArran completed his PhD at Roya
 l Holloway researching bumblebee diseases\, before starting at the Animal 
 and Plant Health Agency investigating mosquito-borne viruses. He currently
  leads Vector-Borne RADAR\, a multi-agency BBSRC funded research grant\, i
 s a fellow of the Royal Entomological Society\, and has presented and publ
 ished on a range of animal diseases\, including making appearances on tele
 vision and radio. https://www.vb-radar.com/team
LAST-MODIFIED:20260513T132855Z
LOCATION:The Life and Mind Building\, The Life and Mind Building South Par
 ks Road  Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 3RB United Kingdom
SPEAKER:Dr Arran Folly (APHA UK and RADAR Research Group)
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