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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Sci / Seroprevalence of West Nile Virus among Equids in Bulgaria i...
Veterinary sciences2024; 11(5); 209; doi: 10.3390/vetsci11050209

Seroprevalence of West Nile Virus among Equids in Bulgaria in 2022 and Assessment of Some Risk Factors.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to analyze the seroprevalence of West Nile virus (WNV) among equids in Bulgaria, confirm the results of a competitive ELISA versus the virus neutralization test (VNT) and investigate some predisposing factors for WNV seropositivity. A total of 378 serum samples from 15 provinces in northern and southern Bulgaria were tested. The samples originated from 314 horses and 64 donkeys, 135 males and 243 females, aged from 1 to 30 years. IgG and IgM antibodies against WNV protein E were detected by ELISA. ELISA-positive samples were additionally tested via VNT for WNV and Usutu virus. Thirty-five samples were WNV-positive by ELISA (9.26% [CI = 6.45-12.88]), of which 15 were confirmed by VNT; hence, the seroprevalence was 3.97% (CI = 2.22-6.55). No virus-neutralizing antibodies to Usutu virus were detected among the 35 WNV-ELISA-positive equids in Bulgaria. When compared with VNT, ELISA showed 100.0% sensitivity and 94.5% specificity. A statistical analysis showed that the risk factors associated with WNV seropositivity were the region ( < 0.0001), altitude of the locality ( < 0.0001), type of housing ( < 0.0001) and breed ( = 0.0365). The results of the study demonstrate, albeit indirectly, that WNV circulates among equids in northern and southern Bulgaria, indicating that they could be suitable sentinel animals for predicting human cases and determining the risk in these areas or regions of the country.
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Publication Date: 2024-05-09 PubMed ID: 38787181PubMed Central: PMC11126025DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11050209Google Scholar: Lookup
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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.

Overview

  • This study evaluated the presence of West Nile virus antibodies in horses and donkeys across Bulgaria in 2022 to understand how widespread the virus is among these animals.
  • It compared two testing methods for detecting antibodies and analyzed factors that might influence the likelihood of animals being infected.

Study Objectives

  • Determine the seroprevalence (presence of virus-specific antibodies) of West Nile virus (WNV) among equids (horses and donkeys) in Bulgaria.
  • Compare the results of a competitive ELISA test with the virus neutralization test (VNT), which is considered the gold standard, to assess the accuracy of ELISA.
  • Investigate risk factors that might affect WNV seropositivity such as geographic region, altitude, housing type, and breed.

Sample Collection and Testing Methods

  • Collected 378 serum samples from 314 horses and 64 donkeys across 15 provinces of northern and southern Bulgaria.
  • The animals were of various ages (1 to 30 years old) and included 135 males and 243 females.
  • Used ELISA to detect IgG and IgM antibodies against the WNV envelope protein (protein E), indicating past or recent infections.
  • All ELISA-positive samples were further tested with VNT to confirm the presence of neutralizing antibodies specific to WNV and to rule out cross-reactivity with Usutu virus, another related flavivirus.

Key Findings

  • 9.26% of animals tested positive for WNV antibodies by ELISA.
  • Of the ELISA-positive samples, 15 were confirmed positive by VNT, resulting in an overall confirmed seroprevalence of 3.97%.
  • No neutralizing antibodies against Usutu virus were detected among the ELISA-positive samples, indicating that the antibodies detected were specific to WNV.
  • ELISA testing showed perfect sensitivity (100%) and high specificity (94.5%) compared to VNT, suggesting ELISA is a reliable initial screening tool.

Risk Factors for WNV Seropositivity

  • Region: Significant differences in seropositivity were observed between different geographic areas (p < 0.0001), indicating some regions had higher exposure risks.
  • Altitude: The altitude of the location where the animals lived was also associated with WNV antibody presence (p < 0.0001), possibly reflecting environmental or vector-related factors.
  • Type of housing: Whether animals were kept indoors, outdoors, or in mixed housing was significantly related to their risk of seropositivity (p < 0.0001), likely due to exposure to mosquito vectors.
  • Breed: The breed of the equids showed a smaller but statistically significant association with seroprevalence (p = 0.0365), suggesting genetic or management differences may impact infection risk.

Implications and Conclusions

  • The study provides strong evidence that West Nile virus is actively circulating among equids in both northern and southern Bulgaria.
  • Equids, especially horses and donkeys, could serve as sentinel animals — early indicators of WNV activity — which is valuable for predicting and managing human risk.
  • The findings support the use of ELISA as a screening method in surveillance programs with follow-up confirmation by VNT.
  • Identifying risk factors such as location, altitude, and housing helps target prevention efforts and vector control measures more effectively.

Cite This Article

APA
Rusenova N, Rusenov A, Chervenkov M, Sirakov I. (2024). Seroprevalence of West Nile Virus among Equids in Bulgaria in 2022 and Assessment of Some Risk Factors. Vet Sci, 11(5), 209. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11050209

Publication

Veterinary sciences
ISSN: 2306-7381
NlmUniqueID: 101680127
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 5
PII: 209

Researcher Affiliations

Rusenova, Nikolina
  • Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.
Rusenov, Anton
  • Department of Internal Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.
Chervenkov, Mihail
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Forestry, 1797 Sofia, Bulgaria.
  • Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.
Sirakov, Ivo
  • Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University-Sofia, 2 Zdrave Str., 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria.

Grant Funding

  • 5 FVM/02.06.2022 / Trakia University
  • BG-RRP-2.004-0006 / Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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