Results of the investigation of West Nile virus activity in horses in some parts of Serbia
2012
Lupulović, D., Scientific Veterinary Institute Novi Sad, Novi Sad (Serbia) | Martin-Acebes, M.A., INIA, Madrid (Spain). Department of Biotechnology | Lazić, S., Scientific Veterinary Institute Novi Sad, Novi Sad (Serbia) | Alonso-Padilla, J., INIA, Madrid (Spain). Department of Biotechnology | Blázquez, A.B., INIA, Madrid (Spain). Department of Biotechnology | Escribano-Romero, E., INIA, Madrid (Spain). Department of Biotechnology | Medić, S., VetLab, Belgrade (Serbia) | Saiz, J.C., INIA, Madrid (Spain). Department of Biotechnology | Petrović, T., Scientific Veterinary Institute Novi Sad, Novi Sad (Serbia)
West Nile virus (WNV) is the most widely spread Flavivirus around the world. Its transmission cycle involves mosquitoes and birds, but human and horses are also susceptible to the infection. WNV causes a high morbidity and mortality in birds and, to a lower extent, in horses and human. The virus has been responsible for occasional outbreaks in Europe, Africa and the Middle East and some parts of Asia for many years, but since 1990s the number, frequency and severity of cases has increased. In fact, in the past few years an increasing number of severe outbreaks in horses have been reported in Italy, Romania and more recently in Spain. Since the risk WNV spread throughout the continent is worrisome for animal and human health, we have conducted, for the first time in Serbia, a serological survey for the presence of anti-WNV antibodies in healthy horses. A total of 349 healthy horses’ sera randomly collected during 2010 in Belgrade district area, the municipality of Sabac, and 26 municipalities in Vojvodina province were tested for the presence of anti-WNV IgG by a validated in house ELISA based on the use of a baculovirus expressed recombinant E viral glycoprotein partially purified from infected insect larvae extract and by plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). Our results showed that 42/349 (12%) of the horses sera presented anti-WNV IgG neutralizing antibodies. Average PRNT and ELISA titers were 140 and 10.5 respectively. According to these data, we can conclude that West Nile virus is present and circulating in Serbian horse population. Although no clinical signs of illness were reported in horses and human yet, the epidemiological situation in surrounding countries warn us that an extensive investigation is necessary to conduct in our country.
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