Serological surveys for horses involve the collection and analysis of blood samples to detect the presence of antibodies or antigens related to infectious agents. These surveys are instrumental in understanding the epidemiology of diseases within equine populations, helping to identify exposure to pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Through serological testing, researchers can assess the prevalence of diseases, track their spread, and evaluate the effectiveness of vaccination programs. Common serological tests used in equine studies include the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the virus neutralization test. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, findings, and implications of serological surveys in equine health management.
Duncan KT, Sundstrom KD, Hunt D, Lineberry MW, Grant A, Little SE.Although ticks are known vectors of pathogens across a range of hosts, there is limited research on emerging tick-borne diseases of horses in the United States. Tick surveys from other regions suggest Rickettsia spp. and Ehrlichia spp. may be clinically relevant in horses. To better understand the transmission risk of these tick-borne rickettsial disease agents to horses, ticks were collected from horses in Oklahoma. Ticks for the current study (306 Amblyomma americanum, 20 Dermacentor albipictus, 19 D. variabilis, and 7 A. maculatum) were evaluated for Rickettsia spp. and Ehrlichia spp. using...
Kasem S, Hashim O, Alkarar A, Hodhod A, Elias A, Abdallah M, Al-Sahaf A, Al-Doweriej A, Qasim I, Abdel-Moneim AS.The equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV) is one of the most serious equine diseases worldwide. There is scarce information on the epizootiology of equine infectious anaemia (EIA) in Saudi Arabia. Given the importance of the equine industry in Saudi Arabia, this cross- -sectional study aims to provide information about the prevalence of EIAV based on serological surveillance of the equine population in the country. A total of 4728 sera samples were collected (4523 horses and 205 donkeys) between December 2017 and November 2019. All samples were tested using commercially available EIAV ELISA. ...
Kareche H, Daly JM, Laabassi F.Equine influenza (EI) is one of the most contagious respiratory infections in horses, donkeys and mules, caused by equine influenza A virus (EIV). It remains a disease with a strong economic stake for the equine industry. This review focuses on the epidemiological situation of EIV in the Maghreb area, which includes Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. There is serological evidence for extensive circulation of EIV in the Maghreb area since the early 1970s, but reports of detailed investigation of outbreaks are scarce with no documented isolation or molecular characterization of EIV from Tunisia. Isol...
Yuen KY, Henning J, Eng MD, Wang ASW, Lenz MF, Caldwell KM, Coyle MP, Bielefeldt-Ohmann H.The increased frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change has complicated the epidemiological pattern of mosquito-borne diseases, as the host and vector dynamics shift to adapt. However, little is known about the seroprevalence of common mosquito-borne virus infections in horses in Australia. In this study, serological surveys for multiple alphaviruses were performed on samples taken from 622 horses across two horse populations (racehorses and horses residing on The University of Queensland (UQ) campus) in Queensland using the gold standard virus neutralization test. As is the ca...
Kumar R, Sethi K, Gaur DK, Goyal SK, Kumar S, Jain S, Kumar S.Serodiagnosis of surra, caused by Trypanosoma evansi, is still based on native antigens purified from bloodstream form of T. evansi grown in rodents. In order to investigate prospective diagnostic possibilities as an alternative for native antigens, we cloned, expressed 26 kDa calflagin protein containing 218 amino acids from T. evansi (Indian Strain) in Escherichia coli. The potential of recombinant calflagin (rCLF) protein as diagnostic antigen was evaluated in immunoblot and indirect ELISA using experimentally infected equine serum samples from 0 to 84 days post infection. The antibodies a...
Kambayashi Y, Nemoto M, Tsujimura K, Ohta M, Bannai H.Equine coronavirus (ECoV) causes fever, lethargy, anorexia and gastrointestinal signs in horses. There has been limited information about the prevalence and seasonality of ECoV among Thoroughbreds in Japan. Objective: To understand the epidemiology and to evaluate the potential risk of ECoV infection to the horse industry in Japan. Methods: Longitudinal. Methods: The virus-neutralisation (VN) test was performed using sera collected three times a year at 4 months intervals from 161 yearlings and at 6-7 months intervals from 181 active racehorses in Japan in 2017-2018, 2018-2019 and 2019-2020....
Resende CF, Santos AM, Cook RF, Victor RM, Câmara RJF, Gonçalves GP, Lima JG, Maciel E Silva AG, Leite RC, Dos Reis JKP.Marajó Island, within in the Amazon River Delta, supports numerous bands of feral equids including the genetically distinct Marajoara horses. Approximately 40% of the equids on the island are infected with Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV). This high seropositivity rate coupled with the need to preserve rare breeds such as the Marajoara horse precludes euthanasia as the primary means for controlling EIAV in this region. In the absence of iatrogenic transmission, spread of this lentivirus is mediated primarily by hematophagous insects, whose year-round prevalence on the island is supported...
MacKay RJ, Howe DK.Advances in the understanding of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) are reviewed. It is now apparent that EPM can be caused by either of 2 related protozoan parasites, Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi, although S neurona is the most common etiologic pathogen. Horses are commonly infected, but clinical disease occurs only infrequently; the factors influencing disease occurrence are not well understood. Epidemiologic studies have identified risk factors for the development of EPM, including the presence of opossums and prior stressful health-related events. Attempts to reproduce EP...
Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is an endemic tick-borne disease found in most countries around the world. It affects all species of Equidae, and it is caused by Theileria equi, Babesia caballi and T. haneyi. The research herein is the second study on the prevalence of piroplasms in Romania conducted in the past two decades. The aim of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of anti-Theileria equi antibodies and the geographical distribution of this disease in the southwest, west, and northwest regions of Romania in order to obtain a more thorough understanding of the parasitological status of h...
Gazzonis AL, Morganti G, Porcellato I, Roccabianca P, Avallone G, Gavaudan S, Canonico C, Rigamonti G, Brachelente C, Veronesi F. is a protozoan causing human zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) and visceral-cutaneous canine leishmaniosis (CanL) in the Mediterranean Basin. is able to infect a large number of wild and domestic species, including cats, dogs, and horses. Since the 1990s, clinical cases of equine leishmaniasis (EL), typically characterized by cutaneous forms, have been increasingly diagnosed worldwide. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of clinical forms of EL in CanL-endemic areas in Italy, where exposure of equine populations was ascertained from recent serological surveys. For t...
Vasić A, Răileanu C, Körsten C, Vojinović D, Manić M, Urošević A, Nikolić N, Dulović O, Tews BA, Petrović T, Silaghi C, Valčić M....West Nile virus (WNV) is a zoonotic mosquito-borne virus classified as family Flaviviridae and genus Flavivirus. The first WNV outbreak in humans in the Republic of Serbia was recorded in 2012. Equids and dogs can show clinical symptoms after WNV infection and are often used as sentinels. This study aimed to (i) give insight into seropositivity for WNV in clinically healthy dog and horse sera in different regions of Serbia and (ii) compare diagnostic value of 'in-house' and commercially available indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) and enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) tests to 'gold standard' v...
Pusterla N, Chaillon A, Ignacio C, Smith DM, Barnum S, Lawton KOY, Smith G, Pickering B.The authors report on a possible direct exposure to SARS-CoV-2 from a COVID-19-positive individual to an adult horse. The individual, diagnosed with COVID-19 (Delta B.1.617.2), had daily contact to her two horses prior to and during the development of clinical disease. None of the two horses developed abnormal clinical signs or had detectable SARS-CoV-2 in blood, nasal secretion, or feces via RT-qPCR. However, one of the two horses showed close temporal seroconversion to SARS-CoV-2 using a protein-based ELISA and the plaque reduction neutralization test. The results suggest that horses can bec...
P K, M M, S M, Kr P, T D, G W, Ma V, K L.Glanders is a transmissible zoonotic disease caused by Burkholderia mallei that infects equids and humans. No glanders cases in equids were reported so far in Nepal. Methods: Following suspected glanders in animals with clinical signs in different regions in Nepal, serum samples were tested by CFT, ELISA and Luminex® tests. Two horses and a mule tested positive for glanders by all tests, while two other equids only tested positive by ELISA and Luminex®. Analysis of swabs and pus samples by a PCR system targeting B. mallei confirmed the presence of the bacterium in the samples collected from ...
Meny P, Iglesias T, Menéndez C, Quintero J, Ríos C, Ashfield N, Ferreira O, Mosca V, De Brun L, Ortiz G, De Vries I, Varela G, Schelotto F.To investigate seroprevalence of anti-Leptospira antibodies in equines and associated workers in Uruguay, 891 equine and 150 human sera were drawn; 212 equine urine samples were also taken for culture. Environmental conditions and equine raising or managing practices were recorded in all 72 visited establishments; epidemiological information was obtained from each worker. Microscopic agglutination technique (MAT) was performed with 10 Leptospira strains for equines and 18 for human sera, that were also studied with IgM indirect immunofluorescence (IgM-IIF). Equine titres ≥100 were considered...
Shi N, Qiu X, Cao X, Mai Z, Zhu X, Li N, Zhang H, Zhang J, Li Z, Shaya N, Lu H, Jin N.The Getah virus (GETV), a mosquito-borne RNA virus, is widely distributed in Oceania and Asia. GETV is not the only pathogenic to horses, pigs, cattle, foxes and boars, but it can also cause fever in humans. Since its first reported case in Chinese mainland in 2017, the number of GETV-affected provinces has increased to seventeen till now. Therefore, we performed an epidemiologic investigation of GETV in the Xinjiang region, located in northwestern China, during the period of 2017-2020. ELISA was used to analyze 3299 serum samples collected from thoroughbred horse, local horse, sheep, goat, ca...
Nadal C, Marsot M, Le Metayer G, Boireau P, Guillot J, Bonnet SI.Caused by two blood parasites, and , equine piroplasmosis is a tick-borne disease that poses major health and economic issues for the equine industry. Our objective was to gain insight into the spatio-temporal variations of parasite circulation in France, where the disease is known to be enzootic, but has been the subject of few studies. Seroprevalence was assessed for each parasite thanks to 16,127 equine sera obtained between 1997 and 2003 from all over France and analysed through complement fixation tests. Results indicated that 13.2% (5-27% depending on the region) of horses were seroposi...
Bergmann F, Trachsel DS, Stoeckle SD, Bernis Sierra J, Lübke S, Groschup MH, Gehlen H, Ziegler U.Following the introduction of the West Nile virus (WNV) into eastern Germany in 2018, increasing infections have been diagnosed in birds, equines, and humans over time, while the spread of WNV into western Germany remained unclear. We screened 437 equine sera from 2018 to 2020, excluding vaccinated horses, collected from convenience sampled patients in the eastern and western parts of Germany, for WNV-specific antibodies (ELISAs followed by virus/specific neutralization tests) and genomes (RT-qPCRs). Clinical presentations, final diagnoses, and demographic data were also recorded. In the easte...
Sahu A, Dhanze H, Singh V, Mehta D, Gupta M, Singh M, Vinod VK, Gulati BR.Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a re-emerging mosquito borne disease, for which equines are most susceptible amongst all animals. Detection of specific immunoglobulin 'M' (IgM) is considered as an ideal way to diagnose recent JE virus infection in equines due to low virus load and short-term viremia. The present study was undertaken to develop a sensitive and specific recombinant NS1 protein based indirect IgM-ELISA and IgM capture (MAC) ELISA to diagnose recent infection of JEV in equines. Indirect IgM ELISA was standardized with relative diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 88.5%...
Alkharsah KR, Al-Afaleq AI.This study was designed to investigate the seroprevalence of WNV antibodies in humans, horses, and pigeons in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 323 humans, 147 horses, and 282 pigeons from two regions, Al-Ahsa and Al-Qatif, in East of Saudi Arabia. Serum samples were tested for anti-WNV antibodies by ELISA. Results: The percentage of anti-WNV antibodies in the human population was found to be 9.6% (3.1% in females and 6.5% in males). This percentage was much higher in horses, as 71.4% (105/147) of the horses had anti-WNV antibodies. However, no st...
Henriksen ML, Dwyer AE, Krarup Nielsen R, Bäcklund S, Dahlmann Christensen N, Holberg Pihl T.To describe the most common ocular abnormalities in the Icelandic horse with focus on equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) and association between ocular abnormalities and summer eczema and coat colors. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study. A complete physical and ophthalmic examination as well as measurement of serum titers for Leptospira serovariants was performed on Icelandic horses from Denmark (DK) and the United States (USA). Results: One hundred and twelve Icelandic horses living in DK and 26 Icelandic horses living in the United States were included in this study (total of 138 horse...
Birras J, White SJ, Jonsdottir S, Novotny EN, Ziegler A, Wilson AD, Frey R, Torsteinsdottir S, Alcocer M, Marti E.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an IgE-mediated allergic dermatitis in horses incited by salivary allergens from Culicoides spp. IBH does not occur in Iceland, as the causative agents are absent, however a high prevalence is seen in horses exported to Culicoides-rich environments. To study the natural course of sensitization to Culicoides allergens and identify the primary sensitizing allergen(s) in horses exported from Iceland utilizing a comprehensive panel of Culicoides recombinant (r-) allergens. IgE microarray profiling to 27 Culicoides r-allergens was conducted on 110 serological s...
Tuemmers C, Quezada G, Morales R, Serri M.In the Araucanía Region there are no studies on the seroprevalence of leptospirosis in horses. Serological samples from 100 draft horses from Mapuche communities of four communes in the region were analyzed using the microMAT technique. The seroprevalence was 35% for at least one serovar of Leptospira spp. being the most frequent serovars canicola (22%), grippotyphosa (21%), hardjo (13%) and pomona (10%). It was evident that the equine populations studied are exposed to infection by Leptospira spp. and reveal a potential risk of transmission to their owners.
Laredo-Tiscareño SV, Garza-Hernandez JA, Rodríguez-Alarcón CA, Adame-Gallegos JR, Beristain-Ruiz DM, Barajas-López IN, González-Peña R....We conducted serologic surveillance for flaviviruses and orthobunyaviruses in vertebrate animals in Mexico in 2018-2019. Sera were collected from 856 vertebrate animals, including 323 dogs, 223 horses, and 121 cows, from 16 species. The animals were from 3 states: Chihuahua in northwest Mexico (704 animals) and Guerrero and Michoacán on the Pacific Coast (27 and 125 animals, respectively). Sera were assayed by plaque reduction neutralization test using four flaviviruses (dengue type 2, St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile, and Zika viruses) and six orthobunyaviruses from the Bunyamwera (BUN) ser...
Russell A, Shost N, Burch M, Salazara LL, Fikes K, Bechelli J, Suagee-Bedore J.Anaplasmosis is a disease caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, which is spread by infected ticks. In horses, A. phagocytophilum generally causes transient infection characterized by fever, lethargy, inappetence, ventral edema, petechiae, icterus, ataxia, recumbency, muscle stiffness, and, in severe cases, death. Following natural infection, horses retain antibodies for approximately 2 years, which can be detected through an immunofluorescence antibody assay. Current infections are determined through PCR assay of white blood cell DNA. For this study, whole blood was collected from...
Biral NV, Azevedo Santos H, Senne NA, Paulino PG, Camilo TA, Tassinari WS, Silva VL, Santos FN, Angelo IDC.Equine leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan of the Leishmania genus, and it has been reported in several countries around the world, especially Brazil. Therefore, the present investigation aims to conduct a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence, spatial distribution, and associated factors with seropositivity for Leishmania spp. in draft horses from the Distrito Federal, Brazil. The serological survey was conducted on 411 animals, employing the Indirect Immunofluorescence Test (IFA) and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The Kappa (κ) and g...
Löwen Levy Chalhoub F, Maia de Queiroz-Júnior E, Holanda Duarte B, Eielson Pinheiro de Sá M, Cerqueira Lima P, Carneiro de Oliveira A....In June 2019, a horse with neurological disorder was diagnosed with West Nile virus (WNV) in Boa Viagem, a municipality in the state of Ceará, northeast Brazil. A multi-institutional task force coordinated by the Brazilian Ministry of Health was deployed to the area for case investigation. A total of 513 biological samples from 78 humans, 157 domestic animals and 278 free-ranging wild birds, as well as 853 adult mosquitoes of 22 species were tested for WNV by highly specific serological and/or molecular tests. No active circulation of WNV was detected in vertebrates or mosquitoes by molecular...
Bażanów B, Pawęska JT, Pogorzelska A, Florek M, Frącka A, Gębarowski T, Chwirot W, Stygar D.Huculs () are an old breed of primitive mountain horses, originating from the Carpathian Mountains. To the best of our knowledge, data concerning the epidemiology of viral infections observed within this breed are sparse. The objective of this study was to estimate the serological status of a semi-isolated, unvaccinated Hucul herd, with respect to both common equine viral infections and horse-infecting arboviruses, the presence of which was previously reported in Poland. Twenty horses of the Hucul breed, living in a remote area in Poland, were studied in 2018 from March to May. Using nasal sec...
Olufemi OT, Barba M, Daly JM.West Nile virus (WNV) is an emerging and re-emerging zoonotic flavivirus first identified in and endemic to Africa. The virus is transmitted between birds by biting mosquitoes, with equids and humans being incidental hosts. The majority of infected incidental hosts display no or only mild clinical signs, but a fraction develop encephalitis. The aim of this scoping review was to identify and evaluate primary research on the presence of antibodies to WNV among African equids. Three bibliographic databases and the grey literature were searched. Of 283 articles identified, only 16 satisfied all th...
Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) cause morbidity and mortality in humans and domestic animals worldwide. The percentage of population immunity or susceptibility to these viruses in Ecuador is unknown. To investigate the proportion of Ecuadorian populations with IgG antibodies (Abs) (past exposure/immunity) and IgM Abs (current exposure) against flaviviruses and alphaviruses and to study the activity of these viruses in Ecuador. During 2009-2011, we conducted a serosurvey for selected arboviruses in humans (n=1,842), equines (n=149), and sentinel hamsters (n=84) at two coastal locations an...
Pellizzoni SG, Costa SCL, Mery RBG, Barbieri JM, Munhoz AD, Silva AND, Sevá ADP, Alvarez MRDV, Albuquerque GR.The aims of this study were to determine the seroprevalence of Sarcocystis neurona antibodies in equines in the Ilhéus-Itabuna microregion (BA), and identify possible factors associated with infection. The presence of sporocysts/oocysts of Sarcocystis spp. was also verified in Didelphis spp. A total of 669 serum samples were collected from equines in 56 properties located in 12 municipalities in the region. Indirect fluorescent antibody test was performed with slides containing merozoites of the S. neurona, using a cut-off titer of 1:80. Occurrence of 7.92% of anti-S. neurona antibodies was o...
Weiss M, Steck F, Kaderli R, Horzinek MC.After inoculation into 2 foals, Berne virus induced neutralizing antibody, but did not cause clinical symptoms. In a horizontal study of seropositive mares and their offspring, a decline of maternal antibodies and a sudden synchronous seroconversion in all foals were observed, again without clinical symptoms. The virus is widespread in the Swiss horse population and has been so during the last decade; rises in antibody titers were noted in 9% of paired sera sampled at random. Positive reactions were also obtained in serum neutralization tests and ELISA using small numbers of horse sera from Ge...
Hemida MG, Chu DKW, Perera RAPM, Ko RLW, So RTY, Ng BCY, Chan SMS, Chu S, Alnaeem AA, Alhammadi MA, Webby RJ, Poon LLM, Balasuriya UBR, Peiris M.Equine coronaviruses (ECoV) are the only coronavirus known to infect horses. So far, data on ECoV infection in horses remain limited to the USA, France and Japan and its geographic distribution is not well understood. We carried out RT-PCR on 306 nasal and 315 rectal swabs and tested 243 sera for antibodies to detect coronavirus infections in apparently healthy horses in Saudi Arabia and Oman. We document evidence of infection with ECoV and HKU23 coronavirus by RT-PCR. There was no conclusive evidence of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection in horses. Serological data suggest...
Cerri D, Ebani VV, Fratini F, Pinzauti P, Andreani E.Serological data on leptospira infection were reported and discussed. From 1995 to 2001, the blood serum samples of 9885 domestic and wild animals and humans, living in Northern and Central Italy, were examined by the macroagglutination test (MAT) employing bratislava, ballum, canicola, grippotyphosa, icterohaemorrhagiae, pomona, hardjo and tarassovi serovars as antigens. Considering sera with > or = 1:400 antibody titers as positive, 674 (6.81%) animals scored positive. Sheep, horses, pigs and dogs gave the highest number of positive responses, particularly against the serovar bratislava and,...
Ebani VV, Bertelloni F, Pinzauti P, Cerri D.The aim of the study was to determine the seroprevalence of Leptospira spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in healthy horses living in 7 provinces of central Italy. In the period 2007-2009, sera from 386 horses were tested by microagglutination test (MAT) to detect antibodies to Leptospira spp., employing the following serovars as antigens: Bratislava, Ballum, Canicola, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Grippotyphosa, Hardjo, Pomona, Tarassovi. 3 animals were positive for the serovars Icterohaemorrhagiae, 2 to Bratislava, and 1 to Pomona, for a total 1.5% seroprevalence. All sera were examined by immu...
Chinikar S, Shah-Hosseini N, Mostafavi E, Moradi M, Khakifirouz S, Jalali T, Goya MM, Shirzadi MR, Zainali M, Fooks AR.This study was undertaken to determine the seroprevalence of West Nile virus (WNV) in human and equine sera in Iran. Blood samples were tested from 300 human samples and 315 equine samples in five geographic zones of north and central parts of Iran between 2010 and 2012. All samples were tested for the immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody to WNV by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Of all samples, 4 (1.3%) human and 9 (2.8%) equines were considered to be seropositive for WNV. These results suggest circulation and exposure of the human and equine populations to WNV in Iran.
Csank T, Drzewnioková P, Korytár Ľ, Major P, Gyuranecz M, Pistl J, Bakonyi T.In central Europe, at least three flaviviruses circulate among vectors and vertebrate hosts. West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are mosquito-borne viruses maintained in the nature by enzootic cycle between mosquitoes and birds. Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is a flavivirus causing annual human cases in Slovakia. The aim of this study is the prevalence assessment of flavivirus infections in horses (n = 145) and birds (n = 109) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and confirmation by neutralization test (VNT). WNV antibodies have been detected in 11.7% of tested ...
Estrada-Franco JG, Navarro-Lopez R, Freier JE, Cordova D, Clements T, Moncayo A, Kang W, Gomez-Hernandez C, Rodriguez-Dominguez G, Ludwig GV....Equine epizootics of Venezuelan equine encephalitis (VEE) occurred in the southern Mexican states of Chiapas in 1993 and Oaxaca in 1996. To assess the impact of continuing circulation of VEE virus (VEEV) on human and animal populations, serologic and viral isolation studies were conducted in 2000 to 2001 in Chiapas State. Human serosurveys and risk analyses indicated that long-term endemic transmission of VEEV occurred among villages with seroprevalence levels of 18% to 75% and that medical personnel had a high risk for VEEV exposure. Seroprevalence in wild animals suggested cotton rats as pos...
Olaleye OD, Tomori O, Schmitz H.Between 1986 and 1989, 2,255 sera collected from six domestic animal species in Nigeria were tested for antibodies to Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus. In addition, a longitudinal study was carried out from July 1987 to December 1988, using ten sentinel flocks on four farms at Ibadan and Ile-Ife, to determine the activity of RVF virus (RVFV). All samples were tested for haemagglutination-inhibiting antibodies and positive sera were further screened, using the plaque reduction neutralisation test. Of 2,255 samples, 259 (11.5%) had haemagglutination-inhibiting and neutralising antibodies, as follow...
Pauvolid-Corrêa A, Juliano RS, Campos Z, Velez J, Nogueira RM, Komar N.The Pantanal hosts diverse wildlife species and therefore is a hotspot for arbovirus studies in South America. A serosurvey for Mayaro virus (MAYV), eastern (EEEV), western (WEEV) and Venezuelan (VEEV) equine encephalitis viruses was conducted with 237 sheep, 87 free-ranging caimans and 748 equids, including 37 collected from a ranch where a neurologic disorder outbreak had been recently reported. Sera were tested for specific viral antibodies using plaque-reduction neutralisation test. From a total of 748 equids, of which 264 were immunised with vaccine composed of EEEV and WEEV and 484 had n...
West Nile virus (WNV), the most widely distributed flavivirus worldwide, has lately reemerged in Europe, causing worrisome outbreaks in humans and horses. Serological analysis by enzyme-linked immunoassay and plaque reduction neutralization test showed for the first time in Serbia that 12% of 349 horses presented specific neutralizing WNV antibodies, which in one case also cross-neutralized Usutu virus (USUV). This is the first time that anti-USUV high neutralizing antibody titers are reported in horses. All these data indicate that WNV and USUV are circulating in the region and advise on the ...
Farfán-Ale JA, Blitvich BJ, Marlenee NL, Loroño-Pino MA, Puerto-Manzano F, García-Rejón JE, Rosado-Paredes EP, Flores-Flores LF, Ortega-Salazar A....Surveillance for evidence of West Nile virus (WNV) infection in taxonomically diverse vertebrates was conducted in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico in 2003 and 2004. Sera from 144 horses on Cozumel Island, Quintana Roo State, 415 vertebrates (257 birds, 52 mammals, and 106 reptiles) belonging to 61 species from the Merida Zoo, Yucatan State, and 7 farmed crocodiles in Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche State were assayed for antibodies to flaviviruses. Ninety (62%) horses on Cozumel Island had epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) antibodies to flaviviruses, of which 75 (52%) were...
Omer MK, Skjerve E, Holstad G, Woldehiwet Z, Macmillan AP.Samples from 2427 cattle, 661 goats, 104 sheep, 98 camels and 82 horses were screened for brucella infections by the Rose Bengal Test and positive reactors confirmed by the complement fixation test. In cattle, the highest individual seroprevalence was in dairy herds kept under the intensive husbandry system, with an individual prevalence of 8.2% and unit (herd) seroprevalence of 35.9%. This was followed by the pastoral husbandry system in the Western Lowlands with 5.0% individual but a higher unit (vaccination site) prevalence of 46.1%. The lowest was in the mixed crop-livestock system in the ...
Pacheco RC, Moraes-Filho J, Guedes E, Silveira I, Richtzenhain LJ, Leite RC, Labruna MB.The present study was performed in an area endemic for Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) in Juiz de Fora, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, during the years 2007 and 2008, when fatal cases of BSF (caused by Rickettsia rickettsii) were reported. Adult ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) identified as Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) and Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius) were collected from dogs and horses, respectively, and tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Overall, 13.1% of the Rh. sanguineus ticks and none of the A. cajennense were found to be infected with R. rickettsii. Two isolates of R. ricketts...
Monath TP, Sabattini MS, Pauli R, Daffner JF, Mitchell CJ, Bowen GS, Cropp CB.Serologic surveys of wild and domestic birds, wild mammals, and horses were conducted during arbovirus field studies in Argentina from 1977 through 1980, a non-epizootic interval. The prevalence of neutralizing antibodies to eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) was consistently higher than to western equine encephalitis (WEE) virus in all species and all areas. The presence of antibodies in short-lived avian species and in young unvaccinated horses and the demonstration of seroconversions in horses during the period, indicated that these viruses are either enzootic in, or annually reintroduced in...
Miao Q, Wang X, She LN, Fan YT, Yuan FZ, Yang JF, Zhu XQ, Zou FC.Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite that infects almost all warm-blooded animals, including humans, with a worldwide distribution. There have been limited reports about the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in equids around the world and little is known about the seroprevalence of T. gondii in equids in southwestern China, in particular in Yunnan Province. The objective of the present investigation was to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in equids in this area. Methods: A total of 399 serum samples (266 from horses and 133 from donkeys) were collected...
Durand B, Chevalier V, Pouillot R, Labie J, Marendat I, Murgue B, Zeller H, Zientara S.During late summer and autumn 2000, a West Nile fever outbreak in southern France resulted in 76 equine clinical cases; 21 horses died. We report the results of a large serosurvey of all equines within a 10-km radius of laboratory-confirmed cases. Blood samples were obtained from 5,107 equines, distributed in groups of 1 to 91 animals. West Nile virus immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies were found in 8.5% of animals (n=432). Forty-two percent of the IgG-positive animals were also IgM positive. Horses living in small groups were more affected than those in large groups. The results suggest that We...
Brown CM, Timoney PJ.An outbreak of disease, characterized by depression, anorexia, fever, limb oedema and lymphocytopenia, occurred on a farm for thoroughbreds in India in 1990. Twenty-six of the 88 horses on the farm were affected, predominantly adults. Signs were present in affected horses for 7-10 days, and the outbreak lasted 21 days. Seven of the 26 affected horses were tested for exposure to Getah virus using paired serum samples, acute and convalescent. Four of the 7 horses seroconverted to Getah virus, and the other three showed a 4-fold or greater rise in titre. The clinical and laboratory findings were ...
Bargaoui R, Lecollinet S, Lancelot R.West Nile fever (WNF) is a viral disease of wild birds transmitted by mosquitoes. Humans and equids can also be affected and suffer from meningoencephalitis. In Tunisia, two outbreaks of WNF occurred in humans in 1997 and 2003; sporadic cases were reported on several other years. Small-scale serological surveys revealed the presence of antibodies against WN virus (WNV) in equid sera. However, clinical cases were never reported in equids, although their population is abundant in Tunisia. This study was achieved to characterize the nationwide serological status of WNV in Tunisian equids. In tota...
Ziegler U, Seidowski D, Angenvoort J, Eiden M, Müller K, Nowotny N, Groschup MH.West Nile virus (WNV) is a flavivirus that is maintained in an enzootic cycle between ornithophilic mosquitoes, mainly of the Culex genus, and certain wild bird species. Other bird species like ravens, jays and raptors are highly susceptible to the infection and may develop deadly encephalitis, while further species of birds are only going through subclinical infection. The objective of this study was to continue in years 2009-2011 the serological and molecular surveillance in wild birds in Germany (see Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 10, 639) and to expand these investigations for the first time a...
Hoshino Y, Wyatt RG, Greenberg HB, Kalica AR, Flores J, Kapikian AZ.A rotavirus, designated as the H-1 strain, was isolated from a diarrheic foal in primary African green monkey kidney cells and MA104 cells. This cell culture-adapted strain hemagglutinated erythrocytes of human group O, rhesus monkeys, guinea pigs, and sheep. It was found to be similar, if not identical, to porcine rotaviruses (strains OSU, EE, and A-580) by plaque reduction neutralization and hemagglutination inhibition tests, and, in addition, it was found to belong to subgroup 1. This equine rotavirus has an RNA electrophoretic migration pattern which was distinct from those of the three st...
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...
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...
Alba A, Allepuz A, Napp S, Soler M, Selga I, Aranda C, Casal J, Pages N, Hayes EB, Busquets N.To enhance early detection of West Nile virus (WNV) transmission, an integrated ecological surveillance system was implemented in Catalonia (north-eastern Spain) from 2007 to 2011. This system incorporated passive and active equine surveillance, periodical testing of chicken sentinels in wetland areas, serosurveillance wild birds and testing of adult mosquitoes. Samples from 298 equines, 100 sentinel chickens, 1086 wild birds and 39 599 mosquitoes were analysed. During these 5 years, no acute WNV infection was detected in humans or domestic animal populations in Catalonia. WNV was not detect...
Hansen MG, Christoffersen M, Thuesen LR, Petersen MR, Bojesen AM.Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and Anaplasma phagocytophilum are able to infect horses. However, the extend to which Danish horses are infected and seroconvert due to these two bacteria is unknown. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of B. burgdorferi sensu lato and A. phagocytophilum in Danish horses. Methods: A total of 390 blood samples collected from all major regions of Denmark and with a geographical distribution corresponding to the density of the Danish horse population were analyzed. All samples were examined for the presence of antibodies against B. burgd...
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...
Vittecoq M, Lecollinet S, Jourdain E, Thomas F, Blanchon T, Arnal A, Lowenski S, Gauthier-Clerc M.In recent years, the number of West Nile virus (WNV) cases reported in horses and humans has increased dramatically throughout the Mediterranean basin. Furthermore, the emergence of Usutu virus (USUV) in Austria in 2001, and its subsequent expansion to Hungary, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Germany, has given added cause for concern regarding the impact of the spread of flaviviruses on human and animal health in western Europe. Despite frequent detection of WNV and USUV cases in neighboring countries, no case of WNV has been detected in France since 2006 and USUV has never...
Melandri V, Guimarães AÉ, Komar N, Nogueira ML, Mondini A, Fernandez-Sesma A, Alencar J, Bosch I.In an effort to detect West Nile virus (WNV) in Brazil, we sampled serum from horses and chickens from the Pantanal region of the state of Mato Grosso and tested for flavivirus-reactive antibodies by blocking ELISA. The positive samples were further confirmed for serological evidence of WNV infection in three (8%) of the 38 horses and one (3.2%) of the 31 chickens using an 80% plaque-reduction neutralisation test (PRNT80). These results provide evidence of the circulation of WNV in chickens and horses in Pantanal.
MacLachlan NJ, Balasuriya UB, Hedges JF, Schweidler TM, McCollum WH, Timoney PJ, Hullinger PJ, Patton JF.Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the causative agent of equine viral arteritis, an apparently emerging disease of equids. In this study, the antibody response of horses to the structural proteins of EAV was evaluated using gradient-purified EAV virions and baculovirus-expressed recombinant EAV structural proteins (G(L), G(S), M, N) as antigens in a Western immunoblotting assay. Thirty-three sera from horses that previously had been naturally or experimentally infected with EAV were evaluated, including samples from mares, geldings, and both persistently and nonpersistently infected stallions. S...
Kooijman LJ, James K, Mapes SM, Theelen MJ, Pusterla N.Equine coronavirus (ECoV) is considered an enteric pathogen of foals and has only recently been associated with infections in adult horses. Seroprevalence data is needed to better understand the epidemiology of ECoV in adult horses, evaluate diagnostic modalities and develop preventive measures. The objective of this study was to investigate the seroprevalence and selective risk factors for ECoV in 5247 healthy adult horses in the USA, using a recently established and validated IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Prevalence factors analysed in this study included geographic region, age, bre...
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...
