Encephalitis in horses refers to inflammation of the brain, which can be caused by various infectious agents, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. This condition affects the central nervous system and can lead to neurological symptoms such as ataxia, seizures, and changes in behavior. Common viral causes of equine encephalitis include Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE), and West Nile Virus (WNV). Diagnosis often involves clinical evaluation, serological testing, and sometimes cerebrospinal fluid analysis. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and management of encephalitis in horses.
Camino E, Schmid S, Weber F, Pozo P, de Juan L, König M, Cruz-Lopez F.Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and louping-ill virus (LIV) are two closely related zoonotic flaviviruses leading to neurological diseases and belonging to the tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) serocomplex. Both viruses are transmitted by the same ixodid tick vector, Ixodes ricinus. Due to global warming affecting vector biology and pathogen transmission, the viruses pose an emerging threat for public health in Europe and Asia. These flaviviruses share some hosts, like sheep, goats and humans, although the main hosts for LIV and TBEV are sheep and small rodents, respectively. Whereas LIV has ...
León B, Käsbohrer A, Hutter SE, Baldi M, Firth CL, Romero-Zúñiga JJ, Jiménez C.Eastern equine encephalitis and Venezuelan equine encephalitis are endemic neglected tropical diseases in the Americas, causing encephalitis in both horses and humans. In 2013, a cross-sectional study was performed in 243 horses located in the highlands and lowlands throughout Costa Rica. Serum samples were analyzed with an IgG ELISA and confirmed by the plaque-reduction neutralization test (PRNT80). Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) and Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) overall seroprevalences by the PRNT80 were 36% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 29.9-42.5; 78/217 horses) and...
Steyn J, Fourie I, Steyl J, Williams J, Stivaktas V, Botha E, van Niekerk S, Reininghaus B, Venter M.Alphaviruses from Africa, such as Middelburg virus (MIDV), and Sindbis virus (SINV), were detected in horses with neurologic disease in South Africa, but their host ranges remain unknown. We investigated the contribution of alphaviruses to neurologic infections and death in wildlife and domestic animals in this country. During 2010-2018, a total of 608 clinical samples from wildlife and nonequine domestic animals that had febrile, neurologic signs or unexplained deaths were tested for alphaviruses. We identified 32 (5.5%) of 608 alphavirus infections (9 SINV and 23 MIDV), mostly in neurotissue...
Schulze V, Große R, Fürstenau J, Forth LF, Ebinger A, Richter MT, Tappe D, Mertsch T, Klose K, Schlottau K, Hoffmann B, Höper D, Mundhenk L....Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) is the causative agent of Borna disease, an often fatal neurologic condition of domestic mammals, including New World camelids, in endemic areas in Central Europe. Recently, BoDV-1 gained further attention by the confirmation of fatal zoonotic infections in humans. Although Borna disease and BoDV-1 have been described already over the past decades, comprehensive reports of Borna disease outbreaks in domestic animals employing state-of-the-art diagnostic methods are missing. Here, we report a series of BoDV-1 infections in a herd of 27 alpacas (Vicugna pacos) in t...
Avila VA, López-García Y, Hernández-Castro R, Salas-Garrido CG, Ramírez-Lezama J, Calderón-Villa R, Martínez-Chavarría LC.Aberrant nematode larval migration in the CNS of horses is rare but frequently fatal; one of the main etiological agents involved in this illness is Halicephalobus gingivalis. This soil nematode has been associated with several fatal equine meningoencephalitis reports worldwide; however, it had never been diagnosed in horses of Mexico. A 10 year-old Andalusian horse presented dysphagia, fever, weakness, prostration and ataxia; the patient expired during the medical attention. Post mortem examination was performed and no gross alterations were found. Histopathology revealed meningoencephalitis...
Guzmán C, Calderón A, Oviedo T, Mattar S, Castañeda J, Rodriguez V, Moraes Figueiredo LT.Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) is an alphavirus that causes encephalitis with a high impact on public health in Latin America. However, only in Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago, and Mexico have found antibodies in VEEV in bats, using immunohistochemistry, the sensitivity and specificity are improved; thus, it is better for demonstrating natural infection in bats as potential hosts. This study aimed to determine the presence of VEEV in tissues of frugivorous bats. Methods: A prospective descriptive cross-sectional study with a non-probabilistic sampling was carried out in 12 localiti...
Niller HH, Angstwurm K, Rubbenstroth D, Schlottau K, Ebinger A, Giese S, Wunderlich S, Banas B, Forth LF, Hoffmann D, Höper D, Schwemmle M, Tappe D....In 2018-19, Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1), the causative agent of Borna disease in horses, sheep, and other domestic mammals, was reported in five human patients with severe to fatal encephalitis in Germany. However, information on case frequencies, clinical courses, and detailed epidemiological analyses are still lacking. We report the occurrence of BoDV-1-associated encephalitis in cases submitted to the Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, Regensburg University Hospital, Regensburg, Germany, and provide a detailed description of newly identified cases of BoDV-1-induced encephali...
Hammerschmitt ME, Henker LC, Lichtler J, da Costa FVA, Soares RM, Llano HAB, Pavarini SP.Sarcocystis neurona is the main agent associated with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Apart from horses, S. neurona has been occasionally described causing neurologic disease in several other terrestrial animals as well as mortality in marine mammals. Herein, we describe the clinical, pathological, and molecular findings of a fatal case of S. neurona-associated meningoencephalitis in a domestic cat. The causing agent was analyzed by multilocus genotyping, confirming the presence of S. neurona DNA in the tissue samples of the affected animal. Significant molecular differences were fou...
Lecollinet S, Pronost S, Coulpier M, Beck C, Gonzalez G, Leblond A, Tritz P.Neurological disorders represent an important sanitary and economic threat for the equine industry worldwide. Among nervous diseases, viral encephalitis is of growing concern, due to the emergence of arboviruses and to the high contagiosity of herpesvirus-infected horses. The nature, severity and duration of the clinical signs could be different depending on the etiological agent and its virulence. However, definite diagnosis generally requires the implementation of combinations of direct and/or indirect screening assays in specialized laboratories. The equine practitioner, involved in a missi...
Gomes FA, Jansen AM, Machado RZ, Jesus Pena HF, Fumagalli MJ, Silva A, Alves BF, Roque ALR, Moraes Figueiredo LT.Arboviruses and protozoans can cause neurologic disorders in horses. In Brazilian Amazon, several horses presenting signs compatible with disorders caused by these infectious agents have been observed. To contribute to the knowledge of this epidemiological picture, we sought to construct a serological diagnostic panel for neurotrophic infectious agents in local horses. A total of 213 blood samples from horses were collected from 29 farms in three municipalities. Samples were evaluated and considered positive when they met the following criteria: titers ≥ 1:80 with the indirect fluorescent an...
Barbosa Costa G, Marinho PES, Vilela APP, Saraiva-Silva AT, Crispim APC, Borges IA, Dutra AGS, Lobato ZIP, Dos Reis JKP, de Oliveira DB, Drumond BP....Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that occurs throughout the Americas, and is considered a public health threat. In Brazil, SLEV has been detected from human cases associated with dengue-like disease, but no neurological symptoms were reported. Furthermore, the epidemiology of SLEV in human populations is still poorly explored in the country. We reported serological and molecular detection of SLEV in a healthy population of equids and humans from rural areas in Southeast Brazil. A plaque reduction neutralization test was applied, and neutralizing antibodies w...
León B, Jiménez C, González R, Ramirez-Carvajal L.The first complete coding sequence of the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus IE, isolated from a Costa Rican mare with severe encephalitis, was confirmed by histological and viral whole-genome analyses. The isolated virus grouped in the Pacific cluster.
Barba M, Fairbanks EL, Daly JM.Members of several different virus families cause equine viral encephalitis, the majority of which are arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) with zoonotic potential. The clinical signs caused are rarely pathognomonic; therefore, a clinical diagnosis is usually presumptive according to the geographical region. However, recent decades have seen expansion of the geographical range and emergence in new regions of numerous viral diseases. In this context, this review presents an overview of the prevalence and distribution of the main viral causes of equine encephalitis and discusses their impact an...
Niazmand MH, Hirai T, Ito S, Habibi WA, Noori J, Hasheme R, Yamaguchi R.We performed postmortem examinations on seven Misaki feral horses () and evaluated Misaki feral horses, Japanese wild boars (), domestic pigs (), and wild Japanese macaques () from 2015 to 2017 in Cape Toi, Kushima, Miyazaki Prefecture, southern Japan, for antibodies against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). infection with severe arterial lesions and hemomelasma ilei was present in all necropsied horses. We frequently found intestinal ulcers, perihepatitis filamentosa, and poor body condition. We recorded degenerative arthropathy in metacarpophalangeal joints in two cases and a fracture of t...
During 2013, in Argentina, three new isolates of serogroup Bunyamwera virus (genus Orthobunyavirus, family Peribunyaviridae) were recovered from two horses with encephalitis, and from an aborted equine fetus. In the present study, we report the complete genome sequence, genetic characterization, and phylogenetic analysis of three new strains isolated in Argentina to clarifying their relationship within the Bunyamwera serogroup virus and to investigate the evolutionary history of viruses with segmented genomes.
Read AJ, Finlaison DS, Gu X, Hick PM, Moloney BJ, Wright T, Kirkland PD.Between February and June 2011, more than 300 horses with unexplained neurological disease were observed in New South Wales, Australia. A virulent strain of West Nile virus (WNV ), of Australian origin, was shown to be the cause of many of these cases. Methods: We reviewed the clinical descriptions provided by veterinary practitioners and the associated laboratory results. Although there was a range of clinical signs described, ataxia was the only sign that was consistently described in laboratory-confirmed cases. Results: WNV was detected in brain samples by real-time reverse transcription PC...
Makrynitsa GI, Ntonti D, Marousis KD, Birkou M, Matsoukas MT, Asami S, Bentrop D, Papageorgiou N, Canard B, Coutard B, Spyroulias GA.Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) is a new world alphavirus which can be involved in several central nervous system disorders such as encephalitis and meningitis. The VEEV genome codes for 4 non-structural proteins (nsP), of which nsP3 contains a Macro domain. Macro domains (MD) can be found as stand-alone proteins or embedded within larger proteins in viruses, bacteria and eukaryotes. Their most common feature is the binding of ADP-ribose (ADPr), while several macro domains act as ribosylation writers, erasers or readers. Alphavirus MD erase ribosylation but their precise contributi...
Martins LC, Silva EVPD, Casseb LMN, Silva SPD, Cruz ACR, Pantoja JAS, Medeiros DBA, Martins Filho AJ, Cruz EDRMD, Araújo MTF, Cardoso JF....Serological evidence of West Nile virus (WNV) infection has been reported in different regions of Brazil from equine and human hosts but the virus had never been isolated in the country. Objective: We sought to identify the viral etiology of equine encephalitis in Espírito Santo state. Methods: We performed viral culture in C6/36 cells, molecular detection of WNV genome, histopathology and immunohistochemistry from horse cerebral tissue. We also carried out sequencing, phylogenetic analysis and molecular clock. Results: Histopathologic analysis from horse cerebral tissue showed injury related...
Silva ASG, Matos ACD, da Cunha MACR, Rehfeld IS, Galinari GCF, Marcelino SAC, Saraiva LHG, Martins NRDS, Maranhão RPA, Lobato ZIP, Pierezan F....Mosquito-borne arboviruses are a major public health concern worldwide and are responsible for emerging and re-emerging diseases. Taken together, the arboviruses have a strong impact on public health and are the most common causes of equine encephalitis. In-depth diagnostic investigation of equine viral encephalitis is of utmost importance for the epidemiological surveillance and control of this disease. Regarding neurological disorders in equids, in April-May 2018, at least 12 cases of equid mortality with acute neurological signs were reported in six farms from Espirito Santo state, Brazil. ...
Kumar B, Manuja A, Gulati BR, Virmani N, Tripathi BN.Zoonotic diseases are the infectious diseases that can be transmitted to human beings and vice versa from animals either directly or indirectly. These diseases can be caused by a range of organisms including bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi. Viral diseases are highly infectious and capable of causing pandemics as evidenced by outbreaks of diseases like Ebola, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, West Nile, SARS-Corona, Nipah, Hendra, Avian influenza and Swine influenza. Unassigned: Many viruses affecting equines are also important human pathogens. Diseases like Eastern equine encephalitis (...
Tan Y, Lam TT, Heberlein-Larson LA, Smole SC, Auguste AJ, Hennigan S, Halpin RA, Fedorova N, Puri V, Stockwell TB, Shilts MH, Andreadis T....Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) has a high case-fatality rate in horses and humans, and Florida has been hypothesized to be the source of EEEV epidemics for the northeastern United States. To test this hypothesis, we sequenced complete genomes of 433 EEEV strains collected within the United States from 1934 to 2014. Phylogenetic analysis suggested EEEV evolves relatively slowly and that transmission is enzootic in Florida, characterized by higher genetic diversity and long-term local persistence. In contrast, EEEV strains in New York and Massachusetts were characterized by lower genet...
Downs J, Vaziri M, Jenkins A, Unnasch T.Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEEV) is the most pathogenic arbovirus endemic to the United States. EEEV primarily infects birds but can be fatal to humans, horses, and some other mammals. Although EEEV transmission occurs in the Northeastern, Southeastern, and Midwestern United States, the largest number of horse and human cases have been reported in Florida, the only state where transmission occurs year round. Currently, a GIS-based risk index (RI) model is used to map EEE transmission risk to horses in Florida. This study validates that RI model using a 5-yr dataset of horse cases in Fl...
Carrera JP, Bagamian KH, Travassos da Rosa AP, Wang E, Beltran D, Gundaker ND, Armien B, Arroyo G, Sosa N, Pascale JM, Valderrama A, Tesh RB....Members of the genera (family ) and (family ) are important zoonotic human and equine etiologic agents of neurologic diseases in the New World. In 2010, an outbreak of Madariaga virus (MADV; formerly eastern equine encephalitis virus) and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) infections was reported in eastern Panamá. We further characterized the epidemiology of the outbreak by studying household contacts of confirmed human cases and of equine cases with neurological disease signs. Serum samples were screened using a hemagglutination inhibition test, and human results were confirmed u...
Fortuna PRJ, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H, Ovchinnikov DA, Wolvetang EJ, Whitworth DJ.Horses are susceptible to a number of neurotropic viruses, including West Nile virus (WNV), which is a pathogen of global significance in both horses and humans. However, there are no in vitro models with which to study infectious neuropathic diseases in the horse. In an effort to redress this, we have generated neurons from equine induced pluripotent stem cells (equiPSCs) that express a range of cortical neuron-specific markers, in addition to the membrane-bound ligand ephrin B3, which plays an important role in axon guidance as well as functioning as the receptor through which henipaviruses,...
Chapman GE, Baylis M, Archer D, Daly JM.Equine populations worldwide are at increasing risk of infection by viruses transmitted by biting arthropods, including mosquitoes, biting midges (Culicoides), sandflies and ticks. These include the flaviviruses (Japanese encephalitis, West Nile and Murray Valley encephalitis), alphaviruses (eastern, western and Venezuelan encephalitis) and the orbiviruses (African horse sickness and equine encephalosis). This review provides an overview of the challenges faced in the surveillance, prevention and control of the major equine arboviruses, particularly in the context of these viruses emerging in ...
Schale S, Howe D, Yeargan M, Morrow JK, Graves A, Johnson AL.Infection by 2 or more protozoa is linked with increased severity of disease in marine mammals with protozoan encephalitis. Objective: To assess whether horses with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) caused by Sarcocystis neurona also have evidence of infection with Neospora hughesi or Toxoplasma gondii. We hypothesized that horses with EPM would be more likely than horses with cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy (CVSM) to be positive for antibodies to multiple protozoan parasites. Methods: One hundred one horses with neurologic disease: 49 with EPM and 52 with CVSM. Methods: Case rev...
Alphaviruses can produce febrile illness and encephalitis in dead-end hosts such as horses and humans. Within this genus, the Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis virus (VEEV) complex includes pathogenic epizootic subtypes and enzootic subtypes that are not pathogenic in horses (except subtype IE, Mexican strains), although they can cause febrile symptoms in humans. The Rio Negro virus (RNV-VEEV subtype VI) circulates in Argentina, where it was associated with undifferentiated febrile illness. Mayaro (MAYV) and Una (UNAV) viruses belong to a different group, the Semliki Forest virus complex, with co...
Bingham AM, Burkett-Cadena ND, Hassan HK, McClure CJ, Unnasch TR.Studies investigating winter transmission of Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) were conducted in Hillsborough County, Florida. The virus was detected in Culiseta melanura and Anopheles quadrimaculatus in February 2012 and 2013, respectively. During the winter months, herons were the most important avian hosts for all mosquito species encountered. In collections carried out in the summer of 2011, blood meals taken from herons were still common, but less frequently encountered than in winter, with an increased frequency of mammalian- and reptile-derived meals observed in the summer. Four ...
Iversson LB, Silva RA, da Rosa AP, Barros VL.Neutralizing antibodies to EEE (6.7%), WEE (1.2%), ILH (26.6%), MAG (28.2%) and TCM (15.7%) viruses were found in sera of 432 equines of the Brazilian Pantanal, area where undiagnosed horse deaths are frequently observed. A 4-fold rise in CF titer to EEE virus was detected in acute and convalescent sera of an encephalitis horse sacrificed in 1992. Antibodies to EEE, ILH, MAG and TCM viruses were detected in horses less than 2 years old indicating recent circulation of these viruses in the Pantanal. The evidence of recent equine encephalitis associated with rising CF titer to EEE warrants a mor...
Kinney RM, Tsuchiya KR, Sneider JM, Trent DW.Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) virus is a mosquito-borne pathogen that has caused encephalitis in equine species and humans during sporadic outbreaks in the western hemisphere. The last, and most widespread, VEE outbreak occurred in South America, Central America, Mexico and the U.S.A. (Texas) during 1969 to 1972. We have cloned and sequenced the genome of a virulent VEE subtype I-AB virus, strain 71-180, isolated in Texas in 1971. Thirty-four nucleotide differences were detected between the genome of 71-180 virus and that of the subtype I-AB Trinidad donkey (TRD) virus isolated during t...
Davis LE, Beckham JD, Tyler KL.Arboviruses continue to be a major cause of encephalitis in North America, and West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease is now the dominant cause of encephalitis. Transmission to humans of North American arboviruses occurs by infected mosquitoes or ticks. Most infections are asymptomatic or produce a flulike illness. Rapid serum or cerebrospinal fluid IgM antibody capture ELISA assays are available to diagnosis the acute infection for all North American arboviruses. Unfortunately, no antiviral drugs are approved for the treatment of arbovirus infection and current therapy is supportive.
Cleton NB, van Maanen K, Bergervoet SA, Bon N, Beck C, Godeke GJ, Lecollinet S, Bowen R, Lelli D, Nowotny N, Koopmans MPG, Reusken CBEM.The genus Flavivirus in the family Flaviviridae includes some of the most important examples of emerging zoonotic arboviruses that are rapidly spreading across the globe. Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), West Nile virus (WNV), St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are mosquito-borne members of the JEV serological group. Although most infections in humans are asymptomatic or present with mild flu-like symptoms, clinical manifestations of JEV, WNV, SLEV, USUV and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) can include severe neurological disease and death. In horses, infection wi...
Sudia WD, Newhouse VF, Beadle ID, Miller DL, Johnston JG, Young R, Calisher CH, Maness K.A major epidemic of Venezuelan equine encephalitis occurred in south Texas in the summer of 1971. More than 1500 equines died of VEE in Texas, and 110 human cases with no deaths were reported. Vector studies in south Texas and northern Tamaulipas revealed that the overall mosquito infection rates during the peak of the epidemic were about 1:100, one of the highest rates observed for a major epidemic. Mosquito infection rates of this magnitude could easily explain the intensity of VEE outbreaks in both equines and man. A total of 943 VEE virus isolations were made from mosquitoes. Eight of the ...
León CA.The purpose of this study was the identification of possible sequelae of the infection of human individuals with Virus of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (VEE). Special emphasis was laid on exploring neurological, psychological and behavioural aspects and particularly on the search for a possible association of the disease with epileptic phenomena, brain damage and/or mental deficiency. A four-year period of observation was conducted on a sample of children from El Carmelo (Colombia) where an epidemic of VEE took place in 1967. A group of seven children who presented the encephalitic type of th...
Silva JR, Romeiro MF, Souza WM, Munhoz TD, Borges GP, Soares OA, Campos CH, Machado RZ, Silva ML, Faria JL, Chávez JH, Figueiredo LT.Arboviruses are an important public health problem in Brazil, in especially flaviviruses, including the Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) and the Rocio virus (ROCV), are especially problematic. These viruses are transmitted to humans or other vertebrates through arthropod bites and may cause diseases with clinical manifestations that range from asymptomatic infection, viral hemorrhagic fever to encephalitis. Methods: A serological survey of horses from various regions of Brazil using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with recombinant SLEV domain III peptides and ROCV E protein a...
Ostlund EN, Andresen JE, Andresen M.WNV encephalitis in horses, previously reported in Africa, Asia, and Europe, occurred for the first time in the Western Hemisphere in 1999. The causative agent, WNV, is a flavivirus maintained in nature by a bird-mosquito cycle. The disease in horses is manifested primarily by ataxia of variable severity. Outbreaks of encephalitis may have a case fatality rate in excess of 40%, although this virus infection is inapparent in some horses. Early evidence indicates that WNV has overwintered in the northeastern United States and poses a threat for future disease occurrences in horses. No vaccine is...
Komar N, Panella NA, Boyce E.We evaluated West Nile (WN) virus seroprevalence in healthy horses, dogs, and cats in New York City after an outbreak of human WN virus encephalitis in 1999. Two (3%) of 73 horses, 10 (5%) of 189 dogs, and none of 12 cats tested positive for WN virus-neutralizing antibodies. Domestic mammals should be evaluated as sentinels for local WN virus activity and predictors of the infection in humans.
Ulbert S.West Nile virus (WNV) is a zoonotic virus that circulates in birds and is transmitted by mosquitoes. Incidentally, humans, horses and other mammals can also be infected. Disease symptoms caused by WNV range from fever to neurological complications, such as encephalitis or meningitis. Mortality is observed mostly in older and immunocompromised individuals. In recent years, epidemics caused by WNV in humans and horses have become more frequent in several Southern European countries, such as Italy and Greece. In 1999, WNV was introduced into the USA and spread over North America within a couple o...
Pauvolid-Corrêa A, Tavares FN, Costa EV, Burlandy FM, Murta M, Pellegrin AO, Nogueira MF, Silva EE.As in humans, sub-clinical infection by arboviruses in domestic animals is common; however, its detection only occurs during epizootics and the silent circulation of some arboviruses may remain undetected. The objective of the present paper was to assess the current circulation of arboviruses in the Nhecolândia sub-region of South Pantanal, Brazil. Sera from a total of 135 horses, of which 75 were immunized with bivalent vaccine composed of inactive Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) and Western equine encephalitis virus(WEEV) and 60 were unvaccinated, were submitted to thorough viral i...
Armstrong PM, Andreadis TG.In the current review, we examine the regional history, ecology, and epidemiology of eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) to investigate the major drivers of disease outbreaks in the northeastern United States. EEEV was first recognized as a public health threat during an outbreak in eastern Massachusetts in 1938, but historical evidence for equine epizootics date back to the 1800s. Since then, sporadic disease outbreaks have reoccurred in the Northeast with increasing frequency and northward expansion of human cases during the last 20 yr. Culiseta melanura (Coquillett) (Diptera: Culicidae...
Arthropodborne viruses (arboviruses) are transmitted to humans primarily through the bites of infected mosquitoes and ticks. Symptomatic infections most often manifest as a systemic febrile illness and, less commonly, as neuroinvasive disease (e.g., meningitis, encephalitis, or acute flaccid paralysis). West Nile virus (WNV) is the leading cause of domestically acquired arboviral disease in the United States. However, several other arboviruses also cause seasonal outbreaks and sporadic cases. In 2011, CDC received reports of 871 cases of nationally notifiable arboviral diseases (excluding deng...
Carrera JP, Bagamian KH, Travassos da Rosa AP, Wang E, Beltran D, Gundaker ND, Armien B, Arroyo G, Sosa N, Pascale JM, Valderrama A, Tesh RB....Members of the genera (family ) and (family ) are important zoonotic human and equine etiologic agents of neurologic diseases in the New World. In 2010, an outbreak of Madariaga virus (MADV; formerly eastern equine encephalitis virus) and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) infections was reported in eastern Panamá. We further characterized the epidemiology of the outbreak by studying household contacts of confirmed human cases and of equine cases with neurological disease signs. Serum samples were screened using a hemagglutination inhibition test, and human results were confirmed u...
Bantle CM, Rocha SM, French CT, Phillips AT, Tran K, Olson KE, Bass TA, Aboellail T, Smeyne RJ, Tjalkens RB.Viral infection of the central nervous system (CNS) can cause lasting neurological decline in surviving patients and can present with symptoms resembling Parkinson's disease (PD). The mechanisms underlying postencephalitic parkinsonism remain unclear but are thought to involve increased innate inflammatory signaling in glial cells, resulting in persistent neuroinflammation. We therefore studied the role of glial cells in regulating neuropathology in postencephalitic parkinsonism by studying the involvement of astrocytes in loss of dopaminergic neurons and aggregation of α-synuclein protein fo...
Gonzalez-Salazar D, Estrada-Franco JG, Carrara AS, Aronson JF, Weaver SC.To assess the role of horses as amplification hosts during the 1993 and 1996 Mexican Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) epizootics, we subcutaneously infected 10 horses by using four different equine isolates. Most horses showed little or no disease and low or nonexistent viremia. Neurologic disease developed in only 1 horse, and brain histopathologic examination showed meningeal lymphocytic infiltration, perivascular cuffing, and focal encephalitis. Three animals showed mild meningoencephalitis without clinical disease. Viral RNA was detected in the brain of several animals 12-14 days after...
Rodrigues A, Fighera RA, Souza TM, Schild AL, Barros CS.The clinical signs and pathology of the central nervous system in 9 horses with naturally occurring neurologic disease due to Trypanosoma evansi are described. The clinical course was 2 to 20 days; clinical signs included marked ataxia, blindness, head tilt and circling, hyperexcitability, obtundity, proprioceptive deficits, head pressing, and paddling movements. Grossly, asymmetric leukoencephalomalacia with yellowish discoloration of white matter and flattening of the gyri were observed in the brain of 7 of 9 horses. Histologically, all 9 horses had necrotizing encephalitis that was most sev...
Vanhomwegen J, Beck C, Desprès P, Figuerola A, García R, Lecollinet S, López-Roig M, Manuguerra JC, Serra-Cobo J.The presence of major arbovirus vector species, climate change that promotes the expansion and increase of their populations, and potential animal reservoirs mean that vector-borne diseases represent a significant health risk for Mallorca's inhabitants. Microbiological monitoring of circulating arboviruses, particularly flaviviruses causing encephalitis, was initiated using domestic horses from localities near wetlands as "sentinel" hosts. A total of 291 blood samples were taken from 172 horses between 2011 and 2012, using paired samples to highlight seroconversion events. A multiplex immunoas...
Mitchell CJ, Monath TP, Sabattini MS, Daffner JF, Cropp CB, Calisher CH, Darsie RF, Jakob WL.Mosquitoes were collected in Santa Fe and Rio Negro provinces, Argentina, in 1982-1983 during a western equine encephalitis (WEE) epizootic. Totals of 153,084 mosquitoes from Santa Fe Province and 484 from Rio Negro Province were tested for virus in 2,351 pools. Seventeen virus strains were isolated, all from Santa Fe collections, as follows: 4 WEE, 6 Venezuelan equine encephalitis, 1 St. Louis encephalitis, 2 Antequera, 1 Maguari, 1 Melao, 1 new vesiculovirus (Calchaqui), and 1 Gamboa. The WEE virus isolates were from Aedes albifasciatus, Anopheles albitarsis, Mansonia species, and Psorophora...
Rossi SL, Guerbois M, Gorchakov R, Plante KS, Forrester NL, Weaver SC.Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) is an arbovirus that causes periodic outbreaks that impact equine and human populations in the Americas. One of the VEEV subtypes located in Mexico and Central America (IE) has recently been recognized as an important cause of equine disease and death, and human exposure also appears to be widespread. Here, we describe the use of an Internal Ribosome Entry Site (IRES) from encephalomyocarditis virus to stably attenuate VEEV, creating a vaccine candidate independent of unstable point mutations. Mice infected with this virus produced antibodies and wer...
Sikutová S, Hornok S, Hubálek Z, Dolezálková I, Juricová Z, Rudolf I.Blood sera collected from 400 domestic animals (260 cattle, 100 Merino sheep, and 40 Hutzul horses) in northeastern Hungary in 2005 were examined for antibodies against two tick-borne viruses, tick-borne encephalitis flavivirus (TBEV) and Bhanja bunyavirus (BHAV). Using ELISA as screening test and plaque-reduction neutralization as confirmatory test, seropositivity to TBEV was found to be 26.5% in cattle, 7.0% in sheep, and 0.0% in horses. Among cattle, the animals up to 3 years old had significantly lower seroprevalence rate than those in older age groups. Natural foci of tick-borne encephali...
Pant GR.Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an emerging disease of animals and humans in Nepal. A serological study for antibody to JE virus was conducted in Nepal from September 2003 to August 2004 by collecting 280 sera from pigs, ducks, and horses covering 10 districts of the country. These sera were tested by performing competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of antibodies against JE virus. The total number of tested sera was 280, of which 43.92% were found positive for the presence of antibodies against JE virus infection in Nepal. Sero-prevalence of JE in pigs, ducks, and horse...
Wohlsein P, Lehmbecker A, Spitzbarth I, Algermissen D, Baumgärtner W, Böer M, Kummrow M, Haas L, Grummer B.In a zoological collection, four black bears (Ursus americanus) died from neurological disease within six months. Independently in a geographically different zoo, two Thomson's gazelles (Eudorcas thomsoni) and 18 guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus f. dom.) suffered from neurological disorders. In addition, guinea pigs showed abortions and stillbirths. All affected animals displayed a non suppurative meningoencephalitis with intranuclear inclusion bodies. Immunohistology demonstrated equine herpes virus antigen and ultrastructurally herpes viral particles were detected. Virus isolation and molecular ...
Silva ASG, Matos ACD, da Cunha MACR, Rehfeld IS, Galinari GCF, Marcelino SAC, Saraiva LHG, Martins NRDS, Maranhão RPA, Lobato ZIP, Pierezan F....Mosquito-borne arboviruses are a major public health concern worldwide and are responsible for emerging and re-emerging diseases. Taken together, the arboviruses have a strong impact on public health and are the most common causes of equine encephalitis. In-depth diagnostic investigation of equine viral encephalitis is of utmost importance for the epidemiological surveillance and control of this disease. Regarding neurological disorders in equids, in April-May 2018, at least 12 cases of equid mortality with acute neurological signs were reported in six farms from Espirito Santo state, Brazil. ...
Prow NA, Tan CS, Wang W, Hobson-Peters J, Kidd L, Barton A, Wright J, Hall RA, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H.In 2011 an unprecedented epidemic of equine encephalitis occurred in south-eastern (SE) Australia following heavy rainfall and severe flooding in the preceding 2-4 months. Less than 6% of the documented cases occurred in Queensland, prompting the question of pre-existing immunity in Queensland horses. A small-scale serological survey was conducted on horses residing in one of the severely flood-affected areas of SE-Queensland. Using a flavivirus-specific blocking-ELISA we found that 63% (39/62) of horses older than 3 years were positive for flavivirus antibodies, and of these 18% (7/38) had ne...
Gibney KB, Robinson S, Mutebi JP, Hoenig DE, Bernier BJ, Webber L, Lubelczyk C, Nett RJ, Fischer M.Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is one of the most severe arboviral encephalitides in North America. Before 2009, limited nonhuman EEE virus activity had been reported in Maine, all from the southernmost area of the state. No human case has been reported in a Maine resident. Methods: We review all EEE virus activity reported to Maine Centers for Disease Control in 2009 and describe current testing practices for possible human EEE cases. Results: In 2009, fatal cases of EEE were identified in 15 horses, 1 llama, and 3 flocks of pheasants in Maine, with activity extending into the central part...
Chapman GE, Baylis M, Archer D, Daly JM.Equine populations worldwide are at increasing risk of infection by viruses transmitted by biting arthropods, including mosquitoes, biting midges (Culicoides), sandflies and ticks. These include the flaviviruses (Japanese encephalitis, West Nile and Murray Valley encephalitis), alphaviruses (eastern, western and Venezuelan encephalitis) and the orbiviruses (African horse sickness and equine encephalosis). This review provides an overview of the challenges faced in the surveillance, prevention and control of the major equine arboviruses, particularly in the context of these viruses emerging in ...
Yang DK, Kim BH, Kweon CH, Nah JJ, Kim HJ, Lee KW, Yang YJ, Mun KW.Recent global warming trends may have a significant impact on vector-borne viral diseases, possibly affecting vector population dynamics and disease transmission. This study measured levels of hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibodies against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and neutralizing antibodies against Akabane virus (AKAV) and Aino virus (AINV) for Thoroughbred horses in Korea. Blood samples were collected from 989 racehorses in several provinces, between October 2005 and March 2007. Sera were tested using either an HI assay or a virus neutralization test. Approximately half (49.7%;...
Wendell LC, Potter NS, Roth JL, Salloway SP, Thompson BB.Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus is an arbovirus that mostly causes asymptomatic infection in humans; however, some people can develop a neuroinvasive infection associated with a high mortality. Methods: We present a case of a patient with severe neuroinvasive EEE. Results: A 21-year-old man initially presented with headache, fever, and vomiting and was found to have a neutrophilic pleocytosis in his cerebrospinal fluid. He eventually was diagnosed with EEE, treated with high-dose methylprednisolone and intravenous immunoglobulin. His course in the NeuroIntensive Care Unit was complicat...
