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Transboundary and emerging diseases2020; 68(4); 1814-1823; doi: 10.1111/tbed.13866

Systematic review and meta-analysis of seroprevalence studies of West Nile virus in equids in Europe between 2001 and 2018.

Abstract: There is some evidence that West Nile virus (WNV), which causes encephalomyelitis in equids, is an emerging disease in Europe. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to analyse seroprevalence studies of WNV in equids in European countries between 2001 and 2018. Two electronic databases, PubMed and Scopus, were searched for relevant publications published from 2001 to 2018 using predetermined keywords. A total of 1,484 papers were initially found. After applying the eligibility criteria, 39 papers were finally included in the systematic review. Analysis of 28,089 equids from 16 European countries revealed a pooled seroprevalence of 8% (95% CI 5%-12%, p < .001, I  = 99.3%) in Europe. The pooled seroprevalence was slightly higher in Mediterranean basin countries than other countries and when calculated for samples collected between 2001 and 2009 compared to 2010 to 2018. Differences in study design (e.g. sampling associated with recent outbreaks of WNV) contributed to a high degree of variability among studies. Further studies with harmonized study design and reporting of the results are recommended to better estimate and monitor European seroprevalence of WNV in equids.
© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.
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Publication Date: 2020-10-15 PubMed ID: 33012076DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13866Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Meta-Analysis
  • Systematic Review

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.

The researchers conducted a comprehensive review and analysis of studies to gauge the prevalence of West Nile virus (WNV) in horses in Europe from 2001 and 2018. They discovered a combined prevalence rate of 8%.

Review and Analysis Methodology

  • The researchers sought to analyze the presence of West Nile virus, known to cause encephalomyelitis (brain and spinal cord inflammation) in equids (family of animals including horses, donkeys, and zebras) in Europe.
  • They conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, which is a comprehensive investigation and statistical synthesis of existing research studies on the topic.
  • Two database sources, PubMed and Scopus, were utilized to gather relevant documents using specific keywords. The search covered work from 2001 to 2018.

Study Selection and Analysis

  • Initially, 1,484 papers were found. After applying certain eligibility criteria, 39 papers were retained for the systematic review.
  • The equid sample size across all studies was 28,089 from 16 European countries.
  • The researchers discovered a pooled seroprevalence of 8%, indicating that it is the proportion of equids tested positive for exposure to the West Nile virus based on the presence of specific antibodies in the blood.
  • Statistical significance of the pooled seroprevalence was high (p < .001), suggesting that the findings were unlikely due to random chance.

Regional and Temporal Differences

  • Prevalence was slightly higher in countries in the Mediterranean basin compared to others.
  • When comparing data from two different time periods, the research found slightly higher seroprevalence for samples collected from 2001-2009 than from 2010-2018.

Variances in Study Design

  • The researchers noted that differing study designs, such as sampling connected to recent West Nile virus outbreaks, could have resulted in significant variability among the studies.
  • They recommended additional research, incorporating a harmonized study design and consistent reporting of results, to better estimate and track European seroprevalence of West Nile virus in equids.

Cite This Article

APA
Metz MBC, Olufemi OT, Daly JM, Barba M. (2020). Systematic review and meta-analysis of seroprevalence studies of West Nile virus in equids in Europe between 2001 and 2018. Transbound Emerg Dis, 68(4), 1814-1823. https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.13866

Publication

Transboundary and emerging diseases
ISSN: 1865-1682
NlmUniqueID: 101319538
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 68
Issue: 4
Pages: 1814-1823

Researcher Affiliations

Metz, Marine B C
  • Agentes Microbiológicos asociados a la Reproducción Animal (ProVaginBio), Veterinary Faculty, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, Valencia, Spain.
Olufemi, Olaolu T
  • School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Daly, Janet M
  • School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Barba, Marta
  • Agentes Microbiológicos asociados a la Reproducción Animal (ProVaginBio), Veterinary Faculty, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, Valencia, Spain.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Europe / epidemiology
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • West Nile Fever / epidemiology
  • West Nile Fever / veterinary
  • West Nile virus

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. García-Bocanegra I, Franco JJ, León CI, Barbero-Moyano J, García-Miña MV, Fernández-Molera V, Gómez MB, Cano-Terriza D, Gonzálvez M. High exposure of West Nile virus in equid and wild bird populations in Spain following the epidemic outbreak in 2020.. Transbound Emerg Dis 2022 Nov;69(6):3624-3636.
    doi: 10.1111/tbed.14733pubmed: 36222172google scholar: lookup
  2. Olufemi OT, Barba M, Daly JM. A Scoping Review of West Nile Virus Seroprevalence Studies among African Equids.. Pathogens 2021 Jul 15;10(7).
    doi: 10.3390/pathogens10070899pubmed: 34358049google scholar: lookup
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