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The Veterinary record2010; 167(10); 379-380; doi: 10.1136/vr.c3155

West Nile virus serosurveillance in horses in Donana, Spain, 2005 to 2008.

Abstract: No abstract available
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Publication Date: 2010-09-08 PubMed ID: 20817900DOI: 10.1136/vr.c3155Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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 research article explores the prevalence of the West Nile Virus (WNV) in horses in Doñana, Spain from 2005 to 2008. It found that while the virus was present, there were limited symptoms and it often went unnoticed, circulating primarily in wild bird populations.

Initial WNV in Southern Europe

  • WNV activity has been noticed in Southern Europe for quite some time. However, its prevalence in Spain became apparent when serological and virological monitoring was done in populations of wild birds, horses, and humans.
  • Despite the identification of the virus, there was a negligible number of bird fatalities or manifestations of the disease in humans and horses. This lack of symptoms suggested a largely silent circulation of the virus.
  • Existing evidence also suggests that the WNV remains in a sylvatic, enzootic cycle, predominantly within populations of wild birds – who remain largely asymptomatic – and very rarely spills into peridomestic habitats.

Research in Doñana National Park

  • The authors’ conducted their research in the Guadalquivir marshes in Doñana National Park. This area, along with adjoining wetlands, provides a suitable habitat for the circulation of WNV.
  • Especially in species like the common coot, the researchers found a high occurrence of WNV antibodies in the wild bird populations.
  • The study also yielded evidence of an enzootic cycle for WNV, supported by several seroconversions identified in individual birds in the winter season from 2003 to 2006. Moreover, the decrease in prevalence of these antibodies, along with seroreversions, indicates a decrease in exposure to WNV and a limited duration of the neutralising antibodies to the virus.

Serosurvey in Feral Horses and Cattle

  • In 2005, a serosurvey carried out in 156 feral horses and 194 cattle present in the marshes revealed an 8% seroprevalence in horses, but none in cattle.
  • Given the higher risk to the horse population, a follow-up study was conducted to assess the long-term evolution of the WNV seroprevalence. The study involved collecting sera samples from horses, mostly during the summer months of 2007 and 2008, and using the virus neutralisation test (VNT) for the analysis.
  • Results showed that out of the horses tested, only a small number showed neutralising antibodies to WNV in 2007, and none of the horses tested in 2008 had these antibodies.
  • To ensure that the results were specific to WNV, a second flavivirus (Usutu virus) was also tested against the positive samples, confirming the specificity of the antibodies to WNV in most cases.
  • Overall, the study noted a substantial decline in neutralising antibodies to WNV in the equine population from 2005 to 2008, with frequent seroreversion of WNV neutralising antibody activity in serum.

Cite This Article

APA
Jiménez-Clavero MA, Llorente F, Sotelo E, Soriguer R, Gómez-Tejedor C, Figuerola J. (2010). West Nile virus serosurveillance in horses in Donana, Spain, 2005 to 2008. Vet Rec, 167(10), 379-380. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.c3155

Publication

The Veterinary record
ISSN: 2042-7670
NlmUniqueID: 0031164
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 167
Issue: 10
Pages: 379-380

Researcher Affiliations

Jiménez-Clavero, M A
  • Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal-INIA, Carretera Algete-El Casar s/n, 28130 Valdeolmos, Spain. majimenez@inia.es
Llorente, F
    Sotelo, E
      Soriguer, R
        Gómez-Tejedor, C
          Figuerola, J

            MeSH Terms

            • Animals
            • Animals, Wild / virology
            • Antibodies, Viral / blood
            • Cattle
            • Cattle Diseases / epidemiology
            • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
            • Horses
            • Sentinel Surveillance / veterinary
            • Seroepidemiologic Studies
            • Spain / epidemiology
            • West Nile Fever / epidemiology
            • West Nile virus / immunology

            Citations

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