Neutralizing antibodies against vesicular stomatitis viruses (serotypes New Jersey and Indiana) in horses in Costa Rica.

The study looks into the prevalence of neutralizing antibodies against two types of vesicular stomatitis viruses, VSV-New Jersey and VSV-Indiana, in horses from four different regions in Costa Rica. This marks the first time that these antibodies have been documented in horses in Costa Rica.

Research Methodology

The researchers gathered serum samples from domestic horses in four distinct regions in Costa Rica. The areas were classified based on their geographic and climatic characteristics into:

• The lower North Pacific dry area
• The lower Middle Atlantic humid area
• The lower South Pacific humid area
• The highlands

A total of 214 samples were tested using the virus neutralization test in order to detect the presence of antibodies against the vesicular stomatitis viruses.

Findings and Analysis

The results demonstrated different prevalence rates for both types of viruses amongst the horses in the different regions. The findings were as follows:

• In the lower North Pacific dry area, 97.1% of horses were positive for VSV-NJ and 16.5% for VSV-IN. The mean antibody titer was 5.86 for VSV-NJ and 3.55 for VSV-IN.
• In the lower Middle Atlantic humid area, 40.7% of horses had VSV-NJ and 32.2% had VSV-IN. The mean antibody titer was 4.33 for VSV-NJ and 3.47 for VSV-IN.
• In the lower South Pacific humid area, 20.79% of horses were positive for VSV-NJ and 27.6% for VSV-IN. The mean antibody titer was 4.39 for VSV-NJ and 3.47 for VSV-IN.
• In the highlands, 91.3% of the horses were positive for VSV-NJ and 73.9% for VSV-IN. The mean antibody titer was 5.77 for VSV-NJ and 4.85 for VSV-IN.

Significance of the Study

This is the first study of its kind that identifies the presence of virus-neutralizing antibodies against the two types of vesicular stomatitis viruses in horses in Costa Rica. These findings provide valuable data that aids in understanding the geographical distribution and prevalence of these viruses which can help formulate appropriate disease intervention strategies.