Journalartikel

Jahr der Veröffentlichung: 2020

Zeitschrift: Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases

Bandnummer: 11

Heftnummer: 5

ISSN: 1877-959X

eISSN: 1877-9603

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101487

Verlag: Elsevier

Abstract: 

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and louping-ill virus (LIV) are two closely related zoonotic flaviviruses leading to neurological diseases and belonging to the tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) serocomplex. Both viruses are transmitted by the same ixodid tick vector, Ixodes ricinus. Due to global warming affecting vector biology and pathogen transmission, the viruses pose an emerging threat for public health in Europe and Asia. These flavi-viruses share some hosts, like sheep, goats and humans, although the main hosts for LIV and TBEV are sheep and small rodents, respectively. Whereas LIV has been detected in Spanish sheep and goat herds, circulating anti-bodies against TBEV have only been reported in dogs and horses from particular regions in this country. The limited available information about the prevalence of these viruses in Spain led us to investigate the serological evidence of TBE flaviviruses in horses from Spain. Serum neutralization tests (SNT) were performed using sera from 495 breeding and sport horses collected during two periods (2011-2013 and 2015-2016). A ser-oprevalence of 3.1 % (95 % CI 1.5-4.6) was found and cross-reactivity with West Nile virus was excluded in the positive samples. Sport horses showed a significantly higher TBE serocomplex seropositivity compared to breeding horses. An increased seroprevalence was observed in the second sampling period (2015-2016). Our results demonstrate for the first time the presence of antibodies against TBE flaviviruses in horses residing in mainland Spain; further epidemiological surveys are necessary in order to understand and monitor the active transmission of TBE flaviviruses in this country and rule out the presence of other flaviviruses co-circulating in Spain.

Harvard-Zitierstil: Camino, E., Schmid, S., Weber, F., Pozo, P., de Juan, L., König, M., et al. (2020) Detection of antibodies against tick-borne encephalitis flaviviruses in breeding and sport horses from Spain, Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, 11(5), Article 101487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101487

APA-Zitierstil: Camino, E., Schmid, S., Weber, F., Pozo, P., de Juan, L., König, M., & Cruz-Lopez, F. (2020). Detection of antibodies against tick-borne encephalitis flaviviruses in breeding and sport horses from Spain. Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases. 11(5), Article 101487. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101487