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de Heus P, Kolodziejek J, Camp JV, Dimmel K, Bagó Z, Hubálek Z, van den Hoven R, Cavalleri JMV, Nowotny N. Emergence of West Nile virus lineage 2 in Europe: Characteristics of the first seven cases of West Nile neuroinvasive disease in horses in Austria. Transbound Emerg Dis 2019; 67:1189-1197. [PMID: 31840920 PMCID: PMC7317211 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We report details of the first seven equine cases of confirmed West Nile neuroinvasive disease in Austria. The cases presented during summer and autumn of 2016 (n = 2), 2017 (n = 3) and 2018 (n = 2). All horses showed gait abnormalities and 6 of 7 horses exhibited fasciculations and/or tremors, and we provide video recordings of these. Three horses also showed cranial nerve involvement. Following rapid improvement, three horses were discharged. Four horses were euthanized due to the severity of clinical signs and subjected to neuropathological examination. West Nile virus (WNV) lineage 2 nucleic acid was detected in 5 of 7 horses, and WNV‐specific neutralizing antibodies in all 7 horses. In addition, serologic evidence of WNV infection was found in two out of fourteen in‐contact horses. Horses may be considered a sentinel species for human WNV infections, integrating human and veterinary medicine and thus contributing to the one health concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phebe de Heus
- Section Equine Internal Medicine, University Equine Hospital, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jolanta Kolodziejek
- Viral Zoonoses, Emerging and Vector-Borne Infections Group, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jeremy V Camp
- Viral Zoonoses, Emerging and Vector-Borne Infections Group, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Dimmel
- Viral Zoonoses, Emerging and Vector-Borne Infections Group, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Zoltán Bagó
- Institute for Veterinary Disease Control Mödling, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety Ltd (AGES), Mödling, Austria
| | - Zdenek Hubálek
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - René van den Hoven
- Section Equine Internal Medicine, University Equine Hospital, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jessika-M V Cavalleri
- Section Equine Internal Medicine, University Equine Hospital, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Norbert Nowotny
- Viral Zoonoses, Emerging and Vector-Borne Infections Group, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE
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Gardner IA, Wong SJ, Ferraro GL, Balasuriya UB, Hullinger PJ, Wilson WD, Shi PY, MacLachlan NJ. Incidence and effects of West Nile virus infection in vaccinated and unvaccinated horses in California. Vet Res 2007; 38:109-16. [PMID: 17274156 DOI: 10.1051/vetres:2006045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A prospective cohort study was used to estimate the incidence of West Nile virus (WNV) infection in a group of unvaccinated horses (n = 37) in California and compare the effects of natural WNV infection in these unvaccinated horses to a group of co-mingled vaccinated horses (n = 155). Horses initially were vaccinated with either inactivated whole virus (n = 87) or canarypox recombinant (n = 68) WNV vaccines during 2003 or 2004, prior to emergence of WNV in the region. Unvaccinated horses were serologically tested for antibodies to WNV by microsphere immunoassay incorporating recombinant WNV E protein (rE MIA) in December 2003, December 2004, and every two months thereafter until November 2005. Clinical neurologic disease attributable to WNV infection (West Nile disease (WND)) developed in 2 (5.4%) of 37 unvaccinated horses and in 0 of 155 vaccinated horses. One affected horse died. Twenty one (67.7%) of 31 unvaccinated horses that were seronegative to WNV in December, 2004 seroconverted to WNV before the end of the study in November, 2005. Findings from the study indicate that currently-available commercial vaccines are effective in preventing WND and their use is financially justified because clinical disease only occurred in unvaccinated horses and the mean cost of each clinical case of WND was approximately 45 times the cost of a 2-dose WNV vaccination program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian A Gardner
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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