#Neurotropic #Tick-Borne #Flavivirus in Alpine #Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra), #Austria, 2017, #Italy, 2023
Abstract The European subtype of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV-Eur; species Orthoflavivirus encephalitidis , family Flaviviridae ) was the only tick-borne flavivirus present in central Europe known to cause neurologic disease in humans and several animal species . Here, we report a tick-borne flavivirus isolated from Alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra) with encephalitis and attached ticks , present over a wide area in the Alps . Cases were detected in 2017 in Salzburg, Austria , and 2023 in Lombardy and Piedmont, Italy . The virus strains exhibit 94.8–97.3% nucleotide identities to each other and are more closely related to Louping ill viruses (LIV; Orthoflavivirus loupingi ; 90–92% identities) than to TBEV-Eur (less than 88%). The chamois-derived virus strains, tentatively termed “ Alpine chamois encephalitis virus ”, form a well-supported independent genetic clade with Spanish goat encephalitis virus , clearly separated from other LIV. This supports its designation a...