Serodiagnosis of western equine encephalitis virus infections: relationships of antibody titer and test to observed onset of clinical illness.
- Journal Article
Summary
This study explores the diagnostics of western equine encephalitis virus infections in horses and humans by testing for different antibodies in the blood. The researchers found that a steep increase in one type of antibody, neutralizing (N) antibody, during the first week of onset made for a stronger evidence of infection.
Types of Tests Conducted
- Hemagglutination-Inhibition (HI)
- Complement-Fixation (CF)
- Neutralizing (N) antibody to Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE) virus
Test results showed the presence of WEE virus infection in a considerable percentage of both horses and human beings. However, the type of test significantly affected the detection rate.
Efficacy of Tests
The neutralizing (N) test was found to be the most effective in diagnosing the WEE virus, with an 80.4% infection confirmation rate in horses and a 77.3% rate in humans. In comparison, the rates for the HI test were 43.8% in horses and 54.5% in humans, and for the CF test were 56.3% in horses and 59.1% in humans.
However, the use of the N test as an adjunct to the HI and CF tests raised the likelihood of serologic confirmation to 91.7%, suggesting a synergistic effect in utilizing the three tests together.
Antibody Response
For both horses and humans, there was a steep increase in the N antibody towards the end of the first week after onset. This suggests that the N antibody is an important marker for the acute phase of WEE virus infection and may be helpful in the early detection and diagnosis.
Practical Applications
This study’s results suggest that when there’s a high titer (concentration) of HI, CF, and/or N antibodies in a single serum obtained from horses during the acute phase of the illness caused by WEE virus, it can serve as presumptive evidence for an infection with this virus. This makes the combined use of these antibody tests a valuable tool in the prompt identification and treatment of the WEE virus.
Cite This Article
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antibodies, Viral / analysis
- Encephalitis Virus, Western Equine / immunology
- Encephalomyelitis, Equine / diagnosis
- Encephalomyelitis, Equine / immunology
- Encephalomyelitis, Equine / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Horses
- Humans
- Time Factors
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Pauvolid-Corrêa A, Juliano RS, Campos Z, Velez J, Nogueira RM, Komar N. Neutralising antibodies for Mayaro virus in Pantanal, Brazil. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2015 Feb;110(1):125-33.
- Keane DP, Little PB. Equine viral encephalomyelitis in Canada: a review of known and potential causes. Can Vet J 1987 Aug;28(8):497-504.
- Sellers RF, Maarouf AR. Weather factors in the prediction of western equine encephalitis epidemics in Manitoba. Epidemiol Infect 1993 Oct;111(2):373-90.
- Sellers RF, Maarouf AR. Impact of climate on western equine encephalitis in Manitoba, Minnesota and North Dakota, 1980-1983. Epidemiol Infect 1988 Dec;101(3):511-35.
