West Nile virus associated with equid encephalitis in Brazil, 2018.
Abstract: Mosquito-borne arboviruses are a major public health concern worldwide and are responsible for emerging and re-emerging diseases. Taken together, the arboviruses have a strong impact on public health and are the most common causes of equine encephalitis. In-depth diagnostic investigation of equine viral encephalitis is of utmost importance for the epidemiological surveillance and control of this disease. Regarding neurological disorders in equids, in April-May 2018, at least 12 cases of equid mortality with acute neurological signs were reported in six farms from Espirito Santo state, Brazil. To investigate the aetiological agent of this neurological disease outbreak, central nervous system (CNS) fragments from two horses and two donkeys were submitted for virologic diagnosis. Rabies, equine herpesvirus-1, and arbovirus-associated encephalomyelitis were investigated using differential diagnosis techniques. West Nile virus (WNV) was detected by nested RT-PCR in CNS fragments from each of the four animals in the study and confirmed by nucleotide sequencing. This is the first case of neurological disease in equids confirmed to be associated with WNV infection in Brazil. This finding unveils a new and urgent field of research and the need to understand the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the disease and the risk to public health.
© 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
Publication Date: 2018-11-02 PubMed ID: 30318735DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13043Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article focuses on the first confirmed case of neurological disease in horses and donkeys in Brazil, associated with West Nile virus (WNV), a mosquito-borne arbovirus. This discovery highlights the need for in-depth research and understanding about the impacts of this disease on public health and animal health.
Background and Context
- The article begins by discussing the global concern around mosquito-borne arboviruses, which are major causes of equine encephalitis. This context establishes the relevance and importance of viral encephalitis research, especially in equids (horses and donkeys).
- Twelve instances of equid deaths with acute neurological signs from six farms in Espirito Santo state, Brazil formed the backdrop of the study. The authors aimed to identify the causative agent of the neurological disease outbreak.
Methodology and Findings
- Central nervous system (CNS) tissue samples from two horses and two donkeys were analyzed to identify the disease agent. A range of viruses, including rabies, equine herpesvirus-1, and various arboviruses, were investigated using differential diagnosis techniques.
- The West Nile virus (WNV) was identified in all four examined CNS fragments through a technique called nested RT-PCR. The presence of the virus was confirmed by nucleotide sequencing, a process that identifies the exact sequence of a DNA molecule.
Discovery and Implications
- The detection of the West Nile virus marks the first confirmed case of WNV-associated neurological disease in equids in Brazil.
- This discovery has revealed an urgent need for further research. It is crucial to understand the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of WNV-associated neurological disease, the risk it poses to public health, and the means of managing and controlling it.
Cite This Article
APA
Silva ASG, Matos ACD, da Cunha MACR, Rehfeld IS, Galinari GCF, Marcelino SAC, Saraiva LHG, Martins NRDS, Maranhão RPA, Lobato ZIP, Pierezan F, Guedes MIMC, Costa EA.
(2018).
West Nile virus associated with equid encephalitis in Brazil, 2018.
Transbound Emerg Dis, 66(1), 445-453.
https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.13043 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
- Secretaria de Estado da Saúde do Espírito Santo (SESA), Vitória, Espirito Santo, Brazil.
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
- Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antibodies, Viral / blood
- Brazil / epidemiology
- Culicidae
- Disease Outbreaks / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / virology
- Horses
- Male
- Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
- West Nile Fever / epidemiology
- West Nile Fever / veterinary
- West Nile Fever / virology
- West Nile virus / genetics
- West Nile virus / isolation & purification
Grant Funding
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)
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