Molecular epidemiology of West Nile Virus in raptors, Connecticut, USA, 2022: A case series with whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis

West Nile virus (WNV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, circulates in an enzootic cycle between birds and mosquitoes, with raptors serving as key amplifying hosts. Despite their importance in WNV surveillance, complete genome sequences from raptors remain limited. This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity and evolutionary history of WNV in raptors from Connecticut, USA. Samples were collected in 2022 from the brain tissue of deceased red-tailed hawks, red-shouldered hawks, Cooper's hawks, a peregrine falcon, and American crows. Complete protein-coding sequences (CDSs) of 19 WNV isolates were obtained using multiplex tiling reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) developed in this study and Illumina iSeq100 sequencing. Phylogenetic analyses revealed our sequences were grouped into two monophyletic clusters and two singletons within lineage 1, showing genetic similarities to WNV strains detected in mosquitoes in New York (2012-2015) rather than earlier strains from Connecticut (1999-2008). Bayesian analysis indicated at least four independent introductions, with the estimated time to the most recent common ancestor (tMRCA) for Clusters 1 and 2 in April 2009 and February 2010, respectively. The mean substitution rate was 4.30 × 10^-4 substitutions/site/year. All sequences contained the T249P mutation in NS3, which has been linked to reduced virulence in avian models. These findings provide valuable reference data for future WNV genomic surveillance studies, emphasizing the role of raptors as sentinel species and the need for ongoing genomic surveillance to monitor WNV evolution, transmission, and potential public health risks.