Seroprevalence and risk factor analysis for exposure to equine encephalosis virus in Israel, Palestine and Jordan.
Abstract: Equine encephalosis virus (EEV) is an orbivirus transmitted by species. Most infected horses show mild clinical signs and mortality is usually very low. EEV is closely related and similarly transmitted to other, more pathogenic and economically important, orbiviruses such as African horse sickness virus (AHSV), bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic haemorrhagic disease viruses (EHDV), and may serve as an indicator for possible transmission of the latter. Israel has been reported to be endemic for EEV since 2001. This study was initiated to re-evaluate the current seroprevalence and risk factors for EEV exposure in Israel, and to assess, for the first time, the seroprevalence of EEV in Palestine and Jordan. Three hundred and sixteen serum samples were collected from apparently healthy horses at 21 farms in Israel, 66 horses at nine farms in Palestine and 100 horses at three farms in Jordan. The presence of EEV antibodies was detected by a serum neutralization assay. Seroprevalence of EEV was 58.2% (184/316 horses) in Israel, 48.5% (32/66 horses) in Palestine and 2% (2/100 horses) in Jordan. Seroprevalence in Jordan was significantly lower than in Israel and Palestine ( < 0.001). The farm ( < 0.001) and horse age ( = 0.003) were found as significant risk factors for EEV exposure in Israel in multivariable statistical analysis. The results of this study further demonstrate that EEV is no longer limited to South Africa and is endemic in both Israel and Palestine and horses in Jordan were also exposed to this virus emphasizing the potential of pathogens to invade new ecological niches.
Publication Date: 2017-03-06 PubMed ID: 28713576PubMed Central: PMC5488184DOI: 10.1002/vms3.58Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Diagnosis
- Disease control
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Etiology
- Disease Outbreaks
- Disease Prevalence
- Disease Surveillance
- Disease Transmission
- Disease Treatment
- Epidemiology
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Horses
- Infectious Disease
- Public Health
- Risk Factors
- Serological Surveys
- Seroprevalence
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
- Virus
Summary
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The research investigates the prevalence of Equine Encephalosis Virus (EEV) and associated risk factors in Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, extending previous findings that the virus is no longer exclusive to South Africa.
Objective and Methodology
- The primary objective of this study is to reassess the prevalence and risk factors linked to EEV exposure in Israel while also evaluating its presence in Palestine and Jordan for the first time.
- Researchers collected 316 serum samples from seemingly healthy horses spread across 21 farms in Israel. In Palestine, they collected samples from 66 horses across nine farms, and in Jordan, samples were taken from 100 horses from three farms.
- They utilized a serum neutralization assay, a method to determine the presence of antibodies against viruses in patient serum, to recognize the presence of EEV antibodies.
Key Findings
- The researchers found a prevalence rate of EEV at 58.2% in Israel, 48.5% in Palestine, and 2% in Jordan.
- Jordan’s seroprevalence was significantly lower than Israel and Palestine.
- The study determined that the farm and age of the horse are significant risk factors for exposure to EEV in Israel.
Implications of the Study
- The study provides evidence that EEV, much like other orbiviruses, is not just confined to South Africa but endemic in Israel and Palestine too.
- Despite a lower prevalence, horses in Jordan were also found exposed to the virus indicating its ability to infiltrate new ecological zones.
Cite This Article
APA
Tirosh-Levy S, Gelman B, Zivotofsky D, Quraan L, Khinich E, Nasereddin A, Abdeen Z, Steinman A.
(2017).
Seroprevalence and risk factor analysis for exposure to equine encephalosis virus in Israel, Palestine and Jordan.
Vet Med Sci, 3(2), 82-90.
https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.58 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Koret School of Veterinary MedicineThe Robert H. Smith Faculty of AgricultureFood and EnvironmentThe Hebrew University of JerusalemRehovotIsrael.
- Virology DivisionKimron Veterinary InstituteBeit-DaganIsrael.
- Vet PracticeMechalkey Hamayim 1JerusalemIsrael.
- Koret School of Veterinary MedicineThe Robert H. Smith Faculty of AgricultureFood and EnvironmentThe Hebrew University of JerusalemRehovotIsrael.
- Virology DivisionKimron Veterinary InstituteBeit-DaganIsrael.
- Al-Quds Public Health SocietyJerusalemPalestine and Al-Quds Nutrition and Health Research InstituteFaculty of MedicineAl-Quds UniversityAbu-DeisPalestine.
- Al-Quds Public Health SocietyJerusalemPalestine and Al-Quds Nutrition and Health Research InstituteFaculty of MedicineAl-Quds UniversityAbu-DeisPalestine.
- Koret School of Veterinary MedicineThe Robert H. Smith Faculty of AgricultureFood and EnvironmentThe Hebrew University of JerusalemRehovotIsrael.
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Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Steinman A, Erster O, Tirosh-Levy S. Virus Infection in Equine.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Apr 8;12(8).
- Tirosh-Levy S, Steinman A. Equine Encephalosis Virus.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Jan 29;12(3).
- Maan S, Belaganahalli MN, Maan NS, Potgieter AC, Mertens PPC. Quantitative RT-PCR assays for identification and typing of the Equine encephalosis virus.. Braz J Microbiol 2019 Jan;50(1):287-296.
- Yadav PD, Albariño CG, Nyayanit DA, Guerrero L, Jenks MH, Sarkale P, Nichol ST, Mourya DT. Equine Encephalosis Virus in India, 2008.. Emerg Infect Dis 2018 May;24(5):898-901.
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