West Nile virus in Guadeloupe: introduction, spread, and decrease in circulation level: 2002-2005.
Abstract: In July 2002, a surveillance system was implemented on Guadeloupe to detect for the potential introduction and monitor the spread of West Nile virus (WNV). From 2002 to 2004, equines and chickens were serologically assayed for antibodies to WNV by IgG and IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), epitope-blocking ELISA, and plaque reduction neutralization tests. After introduction, probably through migratory birds at the end of 2001, many seroconversions occurred between July and October 2002 resulting in a high seroprevalence (19.3%) in equines in 2003. WNV circulation levels decreased dramatically in 2003 and 2004 as assessed by the absence of seroconversion in equine and the very low prevalence in chickens. This decrease coincided with a 7-month drought that presumably caused a decrease in vector populations. In 2005, a sentinel survey was implemented in equines and chickens placed in areas at high risk and the very low rate of seroconversion (1 equine out of 106, no chicken) demonstrated that WNV circulation is now occurring at a very low level.
Publication Date: 2006-12-01 PubMed ID: 17135513DOI: 10.1196/annals.1373.025Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- P.H.S.
- Antibodies
- Avian
- Disease control
- Disease Prevalence
- Disease Surveillance
- Disease Transmission
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)
- Epidemiology
- Equine Health
- Equine Science
- Horses
- Immune Response
- Migration
- Mosquito-borne Diseases
- Public Health
- Serological Surveys
- Seroprevalence
- Vector-borne disease
- Veterinary Medicine
- West Nile Virus
Summary
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The study discusses the incidence, spread, and subsequent decrease of the West Nile Virus (WNV) among horses and chickens in Guadeloupe from 2002 to 2005, suggesting that the spread was likely due to migratory birds and that it was potentially hindered by a decrease in vector populations during a drought.
Introduction and Monitoring of West Nile Virus
- The researchers set up a surveillance system in Guadeloupe in July 2002, specifically to detect and monitor the potential introduction of WNV.
- The investigation was carried out from 2002 to 2004, during which they used different assays like IgG and IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), epitope-blocking ELISA, and plaque reduction neutralization tests to measure the WNV antibodies in horses and chickens.
WNV Spread and Seroconversion Rate
- The researchers believe that the WNV was likely introduced to Guadeloupe through migratory birds at the end of 2001.
- They noticed a high rate of seroconversion – the process of developing detectable antibodies to WNV in the blood – between July and October 2002. This resulted in a high level of WNV antibodies in horses, with a seroprevalence of 19.3% in 2003.
Decrease in WNV Circulation Level
- The researchers observed a significant drop in WNV circulation level in 2003 and 2004, based on the absence of seroconversion in horses and the very low prevalence found in chickens.
- This decrease coincided with a 7-month-long drought, which is thought to have led to a decrease in the population of vectors – organisms (like mosquitoes) that transmit diseases.
- A sentinel survey was carried out in 2005, in which horses and chickens located in high-risk areas were monitored. The very low rate of seroconversion evidenced that WNV was now circulating at a minimal level: one horse out of 106, with no seroconversion detected in chickens.
Cite This Article
APA
Lefrançois T, Blitvich BJ, Pradel J, Molia S, Vachiéry N, Martinez D.
(2006).
West Nile virus in Guadeloupe: introduction, spread, and decrease in circulation level: 2002-2005.
Ann N Y Acad Sci, 1081, 206-215.
https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1373.025 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développment, Département Elevage et Médicine Vétérinaire Tropicale, 97170 Petit Bourg, Guadeloupe. thierry.lefrancois@cirad.fr
MeSH Terms
- Age Factors
- Animals
- Antibodies, Viral / blood
- Chickens
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- Culex / virology
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
- Equidae
- Female
- Guadeloupe / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / transmission
- Horses
- Insect Vectors / virology
- Male
- Neutralization Tests / veterinary
- Poultry Diseases / epidemiology
- Poultry Diseases / transmission
- Public Health
- Seasons
- Seroepidemiologic Studies
- West Nile Fever / epidemiology
- West Nile Fever / transmission
- West Nile Fever / veterinary
- West Nile virus / immunology
Grant Funding
- U50 CCU820510 / PHS HHS
Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Guillot C, Bouchard C, Aenishaenslin C, Berthiaume P, Milord F, Leighton PA. Criteria for selecting sentinel unit locations in a surveillance system for vector-borne disease: A decision tool. Front Public Health 2022;10:1003949.
- Selim A, Megahed A, Kandeel S, Alouffi A, Almutairi MM. West Nile virus seroprevalence and associated risk factors among horses in Egypt. Sci Rep 2021 Oct 22;11(1):20932.
- Hery L, Boullis A, Delannay C, Vega-Rúa A. Transmission potential of African, Asian and American Zika virus strains by Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus from Guadeloupe (French West Indies). Emerg Microbes Infect 2019;8(1):699-706.
- Brown Jordan A, Bolfa P, Marchi S, Hemmings S, Major T, Suepaul R, Blake L, Oura C. Detection of Antibodies to Seven Priority Pathogens in Backyard Poultry in Trinidad, West Indies. Vet Sci 2018 Jan 20;5(1).
- Najioullah F, Viron F, Césaire R. Evaluation of four commercial real-time RT-PCR kits for the detection of dengue viruses in clinical samples. Virol J 2014 Sep 15;11:164.
- Fall AG, Diaïté A, Seck MT, Bouyer J, Lefrançois T, Vachiéry N, Aprelon R, Faye O, Konaté L, Lancelot R. West Nile virus transmission in sentinel chickens and potential mosquito vectors, Senegal River Delta, 2008-2009. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2013 Oct 1;10(10):4718-27.
- Cargnelutti JF, Brum MC, Weiblen R, Flores EF. Stable expression and potential use of west nile virus envelope glycoproteins preM/E as antigen in diagnostic tests. Braz J Microbiol 2011 Jul;42(3):1161-6.
- Hobson-Peters J. Approaches for the development of rapid serological assays for surveillance and diagnosis of infections caused by zoonotic flaviviruses of the Japanese encephalitis virus serocomplex. J Biomed Biotechnol 2012;2012:379738.
- Hamouche C, Pradel J, Pagès N, Chevalier V, Lecollinet S, Bastard J, Durand B. Reconstructing the silent circulation of West Nile Virus in a Caribbean island during 15 years using sentinel serological data. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2025 Jun;19(6):e0012895.
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