Flaviviruses in Game Birds, Southern Spain, 2011–2012

To the Editor: Certain arthro-pod-borne epornitic flaviviruses, namely, West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV), have spread recently in parts of Europe (1,2). In southern Spain, the emergence of a third virus of this type, known as Bagaza virus (BAGV), is of concern (3). Because of the outbreaks in 2010 in Cádiz (southern Spain) of WNV infection , which affected birds, horses, and humans, and of BAGV infection, which affected game birds (partridges and pheasants), and the reported presence of USUV in mosquitoes in this area (4), a surveillance program was implemented in partridges and pheasants during the next hunting season (October 2011–February 2012) to assess the possible circulation of these 3 flaviviruses in the area. Serum samples and brain tissue from 159 hunted-harvested wild red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) and 13 common pheasants (Phasianus col-chicus) were collected on 12 hunting properties from Cádiz (online Technical Appendix Figure, wwwnc.cdc.gov/ EID/article/19/6/13-0122-Techapp1. pdf]). All sampled birds were reared and shot in the wild. The age of the partridges was determined according to plumage characteristics.