Analysis of the Association of Climate, Weather and Herd Immunity with the Spread of Equine Encephalosis Virus in Horses in Israel.
Abstract: It is claimed that the distribution of Culicoides-borne viruses is highly influenced by climate. Equine encephalosis virus (EEV) is a Culicoides-borne orbivirus which affects horses and was recently found to be endemic in Israel. To test whether climate is a crucial factor in the geographical distribution of EEV, we collected blood samples from horses in Israel during the years 2002, 2007 and 2010 and tested them for the abundance of antibodies to EEV. Samples were also collected in 2011 from horses that were seronegative to the virus in 2010, to determine the rate of infection with EEV. It was found that seroprevalence fluctuated between the years and that in each year it was highest in a different climatic region. Interestingly, analysis of infection rate at the different farms showed a negative association with seroprevalence at prior observations. In addition, analysis of precipitation preceding the outbreak of EEV which occurred during 2008 revealed that an extremely dry period existed several months prior to the febrile outbreak with the average precipitation of spring 2008 being significantly lower than the average spring precipitation of the years 1997-2009. It is therefore conjectured that exposure to EEV is not climate specific. Rather, it is highly influenced by herd immunity and weather fluctuations which might change annually. This finding may have important implications for the prediction of the abundance of Culicoides-borne viruses in endemic regions.
© 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
Publication Date: 2015-09-22 PubMed ID: 26392206DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12424Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article explores the relationship between climate, herd immunity, weather variability and the spread of Equine Encephalosis Virus (EEV) among horses in Israel. The research findings suggest that fluctuations in weather and herd immunity, rather than specific climate conditions, play a significant role in the spread of EEV.
Objective of the Research
- This research was conducted to ascertain the impacts of climate, herd immunity, and weather on the spread of Equine Encephalosis Virus (EEV) in Israel.
- The researchers wanted to validate the claim that the distribution of Culicoides-borne viruses, like EEV, is heavily influenced by climate.
Methodology
- Blood samples were taken from horses in 2002, 2007, and 2010, and tested for EEV antibodies to assess infection rates and prevalence.
- More blood samples were taken in 2011 from previously tested seronegative horses (horses that had no antibodies to the virus in 2010) to understand the rate of new infections.
Findings
- The prevalence of the virus was found to vary among the different years.
- The highest virus prevalence was observed in different climatic regions each year, suggesting EEV exposure is not confined to a specific climate.
- Analysis of different farms’ infection rates indicated a negative correlation with previous seroprevalence levels – the greater the previous immunity levels in the herd, the fewer the new infections.
- No gathered data indicated a connection between a particularly dry season and the outbreak of EEV in 2008.
Conclusions
- Exposure to EEV is not solely climate-specific but heavily influenced by changes in weather and herd immunity, which can vary annually.
- The impact of herd immunity on the spread of Culicoides-borne viruses may aid the prediction and management of such viruses in endemic areas.
Cite This Article
APA
Aharonson-Raz K, Steinman A, Kavkovsky A, Bumbarov V, Berlin D, Lichter-Peled A, Berke O, Klement E.
(2015).
Analysis of the Association of Climate, Weather and Herd Immunity with the Spread of Equine Encephalosis Virus in Horses in Israel.
Transbound Emerg Dis, 64(2), 593-602.
https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.12424 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
- Department of Virology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan, Israel.
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
- Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Climate
- Disease Outbreaks / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / transmission
- Horse Diseases / virology
- Horses
- Immunity, Herd
- Israel / epidemiology
- Orbivirus / isolation & purification
- Reoviridae Infections / epidemiology
- Reoviridae Infections / transmission
- Reoviridae Infections / veterinary
- Weather
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Tirosh-Levy S, Steinman A. Equine Encephalosis Virus.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Jan 29;12(3).
- Tirosh-Levy S, Gelman B, Zivotofsky D, Quraan L, Khinich E, Nasereddin A, Abdeen Z, Steinman A. Seroprevalence and risk factor analysis for exposure to equine encephalosis virus in Israel, Palestine and Jordan.. Vet Med Sci 2017 May;3(2):82-90.
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