Toscana Virus Isolated from Sandflies, Tunisia

On July 25, 2012, SBV infection was identified in a cow in Jura Canton in the northwestern, French-speaking region of Switzerland (Romandie) (7). A serologic study conducted in the United Kingdom showed that several cattle and sheep seroconverted for SBV in 2012 (8). However, our data show that SBV survived the winter, when midge numbers decreased. The precise mechanisms of SBV overwintering are not known and need to be explored. The consequences of SBV recirculation should be investigated, particularly in pregnant cows, ewes, and goats. The 2 SBV-positive farms described in this report are located in a previously SBV-free area (FinistèreBrittany) or an area in which the infection rate was low (PyrénéesAtlantiques) in the winter of 2011– 2012, during which seroprevalence for most herds was probably weak (C. Sailleau et al., unpub. data). Therefore, reemergence of cases of congenital forms of SBV infection in France and others areas of Europe can be expected.