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Limited Antibodies to Henipaviruses Detected Among Nigerian Horses Using Pseudotyped Virus Neutralization Tests.
Abstract: The Hendra virus (HeV; ) and Nipah virus (NiV; ), members of the genus , are high-consequence pathogens that have caused multiple zoonotic outbreaks with high mortality. Frequently, pigs or horses have acted as bridging hosts between bats, the reservoir hosts, and people. We used pseudotyped viruses with the fusion (F) and glycoprotein (G) envelope proteins of the NiV and Ghana virus (GhV; ) in neutralization tests (PVNTs) to screen serum samples from 138 apparently healthy horses in northwest Nigeria. No antibodies to GhV were detected in the 138 samples tested. Two serum samples were positive for antibodies to NiV on an initial screen using a single serum dilution, giving a prevalence of 1.45% (95% CI: 0.4-5.13%). Both positive samples were from female, non-local breeds of horses that were used for polo and were 15 and 20 years old. The only significant risk factor found through Chi-squared analysis was the older age category ( = 0.028). On titration in a PVNT, a half-maximal inhibitory concentration was calculated for both samples (IC = 11.6 and 16.8). These data suggest the limited exposure of horses to NiV in the sample region but confirms that horses can act as a sentinel population for the circulation of henipaviruses.
Publication Date: 2026-09-02 PubMed ID: 42797794PubMed Central: PMC13612092DOI: 10.3390/v18090961Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
Limited antibodies against Nipah virus were found in horses from northwest Nigeria, indicating some exposure but low prevalence, while no antibodies were detected against Ghana virus.
Background and Purpose of the Study
- Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV) are highly dangerous zoonotic viruses known to cause severe outbreaks in humans.
- They belong to the genus Henipavirus and are naturally harbored by bats, which can transmit the viruses to intermediate hosts like pigs or horses, which can then infect humans.
- The study aimed to investigate whether horses in northwest Nigeria have been exposed to henipaviruses, specifically NiV and Ghana virus (GhV), by testing their blood samples for antibodies.
Methods
- Serum samples were collected from 138 apparently healthy horses in northwest Nigeria.
- Pseudotyped virus neutralization tests (PVNTs) were used as the diagnostic tool. These tests utilize pseudotyped viruses that carry the fusion (F) and glycoprotein (G) envelope proteins from NiV and GhV to detect neutralizing antibodies in the horse sera.
- The initial screening used a single dilution of each serum sample to identify potential positives.
- Positive samples underwent further titration to determine the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50), quantifying the strength of antibody neutralization.
Results
- No antibodies against Ghana virus (GhV) were detected in any of the 138 horse sera tested, suggesting no exposure to this virus in the population sampled.
- Two serum samples (1.45% prevalence, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.4% to 5.13%) tested positive for antibodies against Nipah virus (NiV) in the initial screen.
- The two positive samples came from female horses that were of non-local breeds, used for polo, and were relatively old—15 and 20 years of age respectively.
- Statistical analysis (Chi-squared test) showed that older horses had a significantly higher likelihood of being antibody positive (p-value = 0.028), while no other risk factors were significant.
- Further titration of these positive samples showed measurable neutralization activity with IC50 values of 11.6 and 16.8, confirming the presence of functional antibodies.
Interpretation and Implications
- The limited detection of NiV antibodies suggests that horses in northwest Nigeria have only minimal exposure to henipaviruses.
- The absence of GhV antibodies indicates this virus is likely not circulating among horses in this region, or exposure is extremely rare.
- Older horses and those of non-local breeds used in specific activities like polo might have higher risk of exposure, possibly due to different management, movement, or contact patterns.
- Despite the low prevalence, the study confirms that horses can serve as sentinels—indicator species—for monitoring the presence and circulation of henipaviruses in the environment.
- Using PVNTs with pseudotyped viruses is a useful approach to screening and confirming exposure to highly pathogenic henipaviruses in animal populations where live virus handling may be difficult or unsafe.
- Findings highlight the importance of ongoing surveillance in domestic animals to detect early zoonotic transmission risks posed by henipaviruses, which is vital for One Health preparedness.
Cite This Article
APA
Donnelly K, Maina MM, Elbohy O, Olufemi OT, Wright E, Daly JM.
(2026).
Limited Antibodies to Henipaviruses Detected Among Nigerian Horses Using Pseudotyped Virus Neutralization Tests.
Viruses, 18(9), 961.
https://doi.org/10.3390/v18090961 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- One Virology, Wolfson Centre for Global Virus Research, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, UK.
- One Virology, Wolfson Centre for Global Virus Research, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, UK.
- One Virology, Wolfson Centre for Global Virus Research, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, UK.
- One Virology, Wolfson Centre for Global Virus Research, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, UK.
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RH, UK.
- One Virology, Wolfson Centre for Global Virus Research, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, UK.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horses
- Antibodies, Viral / blood
- Henipavirus Infections / veterinary
- Henipavirus Infections / epidemiology
- Henipavirus Infections / immunology
- Henipavirus Infections / virology
- Female
- Neutralization Tests
- Henipavirus / immunology
- Nigeria / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / virology
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Male
- Seroepidemiologic Studies
- Viral Pseudotyping
- Hendra Virus / immunology
- Antibodies, Neutralizing / blood
Grant Funding
- University of Nottingham
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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