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Emerging infectious diseases2011; 17(12); 2397-2399; doi: 10.3201/eid1712.110651

West Nile fever outbreak in horses and humans, Spain, 2010.

Abstract: TO THE EDITOR: West Nile virus (WNV) is a member of the genus Flavivirus within the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex. The enzootic virus cycle involves transmission between avian hosts and ornithophilic mosquitoes, whereas humans and horses are considered dead-end hosts. Given the recent increase of WNV infection in humans and horses in Europe, concern has been raised regarding public and animal health.
Publication Date: 2011-12-17 PubMed ID: 22172565PubMed Central: PMC3311180DOI: 10.3201/eid1712.110651Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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This research article discusses an outbreak of West Nile fever in horses and humans in Spain in 2010, investigating the role of the West Nile Virus (WNV) in this occurrence and the concern it raises about public and animal health.

Explanation of the Research Paper

  • The paper begins by identifying the West Nile Virus (WNV) as a member of the Flavivirus genus, within the realm of the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex. This points to the relation of WNV to other similar viruses and their potential effects on health.
  • It moves on to describe the enzootic virus cycle, which involves transmission between avian hosts and ornithophilic mosquitoes. In this context, ‘avian hosts’ refers to bird species that carry the virus and ‘ornithophilic mosquitoes’ are mosquitoes that predominantly feed on birds. The detailing of this cycle helps us understand how the virus spreads in nature.
  • Next, it mentions that humans and horses are considered dead-end hosts. This signifies that while humans and horses can get infected by WNV, they are not the primary hosts or carriers of the virus, i.e., they do not contribute significantly to the further spread of the virus once infected.
  • This explanation explores the recent rise in WNV infection in humans and horses across Europe. It indirectly indicates a growing public health concern due to the increase in cases.
  • Lastly, the abstract emphasises on underlying concern for both public and animal health. Here, the ‘concern’ refers to the potential risks and impacts posed by the spread of the WNV on the general public’s health and the health of animals, particularly horses.

Overall, the abstract is setting the stage for a larger discussion on the challenges and implications of WNV spread in the European context, with a particular focus on the specific outbreak in Spain during 2010. It highlights its impacts on both human and animal health and marks the importance of vigilance against such diseases.

Cite This Article

APA
García-Bocanegra I, Jaén-Téllez JA, Napp S, Arenas-Montes A, Fernández-Morente M, Fernández-Molera V, Arenas A. (2011). West Nile fever outbreak in horses and humans, Spain, 2010. Emerg Infect Dis, 17(12), 2397-2399. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1712.110651

Publication

ISSN: 1080-6059
NlmUniqueID: 9508155
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 17
Issue: 12
Pages: 2397-2399

Researcher Affiliations

García-Bocanegra, Ignacio
    Jaén-Téllez, Juan A
      Napp, Sebastián
        Arenas-Montes, Antonio
          Fernández-Morente, Manuel
            Fernández-Molera, Vicente
              Arenas, Antonio

                MeSH Terms

                • Aged
                • Animals
                • Communicable Diseases, Emerging / epidemiology
                • Communicable Diseases, Emerging / veterinary
                • Communicable Diseases, Emerging / virology
                • Disease Outbreaks / veterinary
                • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
                • Horse Diseases / virology
                • Horses
                • Humans
                • Male
                • Middle Aged
                • Spain / epidemiology
                • West Nile Fever / epidemiology
                • West Nile Fever / veterinary
                • West Nile Fever / virology
                • West Nile virus / classification
                • West Nile virus / genetics
                • West Nile virus / isolation & purification
                • Zoonoses / epidemiology
                • Zoonoses / virology

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