A Survey on West Nile and Usutu Viruses in Horses and Birds in Poland

West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are members of the family Flaviviridae which, natural life cycles involve mosquito–bird–mosquito transmission. Both represent emerging viruses in Europe with potential to cause neuroinvasive disease in humans. This study investigates the seroprevalence of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Viruses Vol. 10; no. 2; p. 87
Main Authors: Bażanów, Barbara, Jansen van Vuren, Petrus, Szymański, Piotr, Stygar, Dominika, Frącka, Agnieszka, Twardoń, Jan, Kozdrowski, Roland, Pawęska, Janusz T.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 17.02.2018
MDPI
Subjects:
Animals
Antibodies
antibody
Bird Diseases - epidemiology
Bird Diseases - immunology
Bird Diseases - virology
Birds
Child, Preschool
Control programs
Horse Diseases - epidemiology
Horse Diseases - immunology
Horse Diseases - virology
Horses
Humans
Invasiveness
Life cycles
Mosquitoes
Poland
Poland - epidemiology
Public health
Seroepidemiologic Studies
Serology
Usutu virus
Viruses
West Nile Fever - veterinary
West Nile virus
West Nile virus - immunology
Poland
Poland
antibody
birds
Usutu virus
West Nile virus
horses
ISSN:1999-4915, 1999-4915
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are members of the family Flaviviridae which, natural life cycles involve mosquito–bird–mosquito transmission. Both represent emerging viruses in Europe with potential to cause neuroinvasive disease in humans. This study investigates the seroprevalence of serum neutralizing antibodies to WNV and to USUV in birds and in horses in Poland. Antibodies against WNV and USUV were detected in 5 (35.7%) and in 1 (7.14%) of 14 birds and in 62 (15.08%) and in 115 (27.98%) of 411 horses, respectively. Twenty-one WNV serologically positive horses (33.87%) and 67 USUV serologically positive horses (58.26%) did not travel outside Polish borders. Given the high abundance of potentially competent mosquito species in Poland, high populations of horses and different bird species, our findings highlight implementation of active control programs, including monitoring of geographic spread and dynamics of WNV and USUV transmission in both primary and accidental hosts. It is also important to improve public health awareness about the disease these viruses may cause.
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ISSN:1999-4915
1999-4915
DOI:10.3390/v10020087