Serological detection of St. Louis encephalitis virus and West Nile virus in equines from Santa Fe, Argentina.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
This research studied the prevalence of St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) and West Nile virus (WNV) in horses in Santa Fe Province, Argentina. It found that both viruses co-circulate in the horse population in Santa Fe, posing a potential risk to equine health.
Study Purpose and Methodology
The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of two similar viruses, St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) and West Nile virus (WNV), in the horse population in Santa Fe Province, Argentina. Both SLEV and WNV are significant pathogens that can cause serious diseases in humans and equines. Specifically, WNV is known to be a crucial pathogen in regards to the health of horses.
To conduct the study, the researchers used a testing method called the plaque reduction neutralisation test on equine blood samples. This method detects the presence of specific antibodies against a particular virus, helping to determine if an animal has been infected with the virus at some point.
Key Findings
The research revealed interesting findings regarding the seroprevalence, that is, the level of a pathogen in a certain population, of SLEV and WNV in the equine population of Santa Fe.
- The seroprevalence was 12.2% for SLEV, indicating that just over one in every eight horses had been exposed to the virus.
- For WNV, the seroprevalence was higher, at 16.2%, suggesting that roughly one in every six horses had been infected with WNV at some point.
- Interestingly, for a combination of both viruses, the seroprevalence was extremely high, at 48.6%. This means that nearly half of the equine population in Santa Fe may have been exposed to either SLEV or WNV, or both.
Conclusion
The research provides vital information about the circulation of SLEV and WNV in the horse population in Santa Fe. The high seroprevalence of both viruses, particularly the combined prevalence, indicates the frequent co-circulation of SLEV and WNV among the equines in this region. This has significant implications for the health management of the equine population in Santa Fe, and potentially for public health, given that both viruses can cause serious disease in humans as well.
Cite This Article
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Laboratorio de Arbovirus y Arenavirus, Instituto de Virología Dr JM Vanella, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina. laura9505@yahoo.com.ar
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Argentina / epidemiology
- Encephalitis Virus, St. Louis / immunology
- Encephalitis Virus, St. Louis / isolation & purification
- Encephalitis, St. Louis / diagnosis
- Encephalitis, St. Louis / epidemiology
- Encephalitis, St. Louis / veterinary
- Encephalitis, St. Louis / virology
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / virology
- Horses / virology
- Seroepidemiologic Studies
- West Nile Fever / diagnosis
- West Nile Fever / epidemiology
- West Nile Fever / veterinary
- West Nile Fever / virology
- West Nile virus / immunology
- West Nile virus / isolation & purification
Citations
This article has been cited 12 times.- Mackenzie JS, Williams DT, van den Hurk AF, Smith DW, Currie BJ. Japanese Encephalitis Virus: The Emergence of Genotype IV in Australia and Its Potential Endemicity. Viruses 2022 Nov 9;14(11).
- Nunes JDSDSS, Casseb LMN, Guimarães RJPS, Reis WDM, de Barros BCV, Ferreira MS, Chiang JO, Pinheiro HHC, Vasconcelos PFDC, Cruz ACR. Serological evidence of Eastern equine encephalitis circulation in equids in Pará state, Brazil. Braz J Vet Med 2021;43:e001720.
- Albrieu-Llinás G, Gallardo R, Konigheim BS, Quaglia AI, Mariño B, Curiotti J, Mazzini R, Contigiani MS. Arbovirus serosurvey (Orthobunyavirus, Flavivirus, and Alphavirus) in a draft horse population from Santa Fe, Argentina (2013-2016). Arch Virol 2021 Mar;166(3):881-884.
- Câmara RJF, Bueno BL, Resende CF, Balasuriya UBR, Sakamoto SM, Reis JKPD. Viral Diseases that Affect Donkeys and Mules. Animals (Basel) 2020 Nov 25;10(12).
- Catenacci LS, Ferreira M, Martins LC, De Vleeschouwer KM, Cassano CR, Oliveira LC, Canale G, Deem SL, Tello JS, Parker P, Vasconcelos PFC, Travassos da Rosa ES. Surveillance of Arboviruses in Primates and Sloths in the Atlantic Forest, Bahia, Brazil. Ecohealth 2018 Dec;15(4):777-791.
- Burgueño A, Spinsanti L, Díaz LA, Rivarola ME, Arbiza J, Contigiani M, Delfraro A. Seroprevalence of St. Louis encephalitis virus and West Nile virus (Flavivirus, Flaviviridae) in horses, Uruguay. Biomed Res Int 2013;2013:582957.
- Pisano MB, Oria G, Beskow G, Aguilar J, Konigheim B, Cacace ML, Aguirre L, Stein M, Contigiani MS. Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses (VEEV) in Argentina: serological evidence of human infection. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2013;7(12):e2551.
- Díaz-Nieto LM, Maciá A, Parisi G, Farina JL, Vidal-Domínguez ME, Perotti MA, Berón CM. Distribution of mosquitoes in the south east of Argentina and first report on the analysis based on 18S rDNA and COI sequences. PLoS One 2013;8(9):e75516.
- Micieli MV, Matacchiero AC, Muttis E, Fonseca DM, Aliota MT, Kramer LD. Vector competence of Argentine mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) for West Nile virus (Flaviviridae: Flavivirus). J Med Entomol 2013 Jul;50(4):853-62.
- Melandri V, Guimarães AÉ, Komar N, Nogueira ML, Mondini A, Fernandez-Sesma A, Alencar J, Bosch I. Serological detection of West Nile virus in horses and chicken from Pantanal, Brazil. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2012 Dec;107(8):1073-5.
- da Rocha JAP, da Costa RA, da Rocha ECM, Machado AK, Bick DLU, Fagan SB, Wanzeller ALM, Gomes MDS, Rodrigues JLL, do Rego JAR, Brasil DDSB, Lima AH. Antiviral Effect of Piperine on Chikungunya Virus: In Vitro Evidence and In Silico Analysis of E1-E2 Binding. ACS Omega 2025 Aug 19;10(32):35865-35877.
- Rucci KA, Arias-Builes DL, Visintin AM, Diaz A. Serological survey reveals enzootic circulation of St. Louis encephalitis and West Nile viruses in semiarid Monte ecosystem of Argentina. Sci Rep 2024 Feb 29;14(1):4994.
