High prevalence of West Nile virus in equines from the two provinces of Pakistan

Epidemiol Infect. 2015 Jul;143(9):1931-5. doi: 10.1017/S0950268814002878. Epub 2014 Oct 31.

Abstract

This study describes the first large-scale serosurvey on West Nile virus (WNV) conducted in the equine population in Pakistan. Sera were collected from 449 equids from two provinces of Pakistan during 2012-2013. Equine serum samples were screened using a commercial ELISA kit detecting antibodies against WNV and related flaviviruses. ELISA-positive samples were further investigated using virus-specific microneutralization tests (MNTs) to identify infections with Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), WNV and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). Anti-WNV antibodies were detected in 292 samples by ELISA (seroprevalence 65.0%) and WNV infections were confirmed in 249 animals by MNT. However, there was no animal found infected by JEV or TBEV. The detection of WNV-seropositive equines in Pakistan strongly suggests a widespread circulation of WNV in Pakistan.

Keywords: Infectious disease; Japanese encephalitis; West Nile virus; infectious disease epidemiology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • Encephalitis Virus, Japanese / isolation & purification*
  • Encephalitis, Japanese / epidemiology
  • Encephalitis, Japanese / veterinary*
  • Encephalitis, Japanese / virology
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
  • Equidae*
  • Female
  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Horse Diseases / virology
  • Horses
  • Male
  • Pakistan / epidemiology
  • Prevalence
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Species Specificity
  • West Nile Fever / epidemiology
  • West Nile Fever / veterinary*
  • West Nile Fever / virology
  • West Nile virus / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral