Cross-Sectional Study on the Prevalence and Factors Influencing Occurrence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Horses in Lithuania
Various animal species have been evaluated in depth for their potential as Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) sentinel species, although evidence for equine capacity is incomplete. Therefore, a comprehensive cross-sectional stratified serosurvey and PCR analysis of selected horses (<i>n</...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Pathogens |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/2/140 |
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| author | Arnoldas Pautienius Austeja Armonaite Evelina Simkute Ruta Zagrabskaite Jurate Buitkuviene Russell Alpizar-Jara Juozas Grigas Indre Zakiene Dainius Zienius Algirdas Salomskas Arunas Stankevicius |
| author_facet | Arnoldas Pautienius Austeja Armonaite Evelina Simkute Ruta Zagrabskaite Jurate Buitkuviene Russell Alpizar-Jara Juozas Grigas Indre Zakiene Dainius Zienius Algirdas Salomskas Arunas Stankevicius |
| author_sort | Arnoldas Pautienius |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Various animal species have been evaluated in depth for their potential as Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) sentinel species, although evidence for equine capacity is incomplete. Therefore, a comprehensive cross-sectional stratified serosurvey and PCR analysis of selected horses (<i>n</i> = 301) were performed in TBEV endemic localities in Lithuania. Attached and moving ticks (<i>n</i> = 241) have been collected from aforementioned hosts to evaluate natural infectivity of TBEV vectors (<i>Ixodes spp.</i>) in the recreational environments surrounding equestrian centers. All samples were screened for TBEV IgG and positive samples were confirmed by virus neutralization test (VNT). 113 (37.5%) horses from all counties of Lithuania tested positive for TBEV IgG, revealing age and sex indifferent results of equine seroprevalence that were significantly dependent on pedigree: horses of mixed breed were more susceptible to infection possibly due to their management practices. TBEV prevalence in equine species corresponded to TBEV-confirmed human cases in the precedent year. As much as 3.9% of horses were viraemic with TBEV-RNA with subsequent confirmation of TBEV European subtype. 4/38 of tested tick pools were positive for TBEV-RNA (Minimal infectious rate 1.2%). Several unknown microfoci were revealed during the study indicating areas of extreme risk close to popular human entertainment sites. The study provides important evidence in favor of horses’ usage as sentinel species, as equines could provide more detailed epidemiological mapping of TBEV, as well as more efficient collection of ticks for surveillance studies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:18:45Z |
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| id | doaj.art-60938421b5e4433cbb834541ccdd5e2e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:18:45Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj.art-60938421b5e4433cbb834541ccdd5e2e2023-12-03T11:50:07ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172021-01-0110214010.3390/pathogens10020140Cross-Sectional Study on the Prevalence and Factors Influencing Occurrence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Horses in LithuaniaArnoldas Pautienius0Austeja Armonaite1Evelina Simkute2Ruta Zagrabskaite3Jurate Buitkuviene4Russell Alpizar-Jara5Juozas Grigas6Indre Zakiene7Dainius Zienius8Algirdas Salomskas9Arunas Stankevicius10Virology Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, LithuaniaLaboratory of Immunology, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, LithuaniaLaboratory of Immunology, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, LithuaniaNational Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute, J. Kairiukscio Str. 10, LT-08409 Vilnius, LithuaniaNational Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute, J. Kairiukscio Str. 10, LT-08409 Vilnius, LithuaniaResearch Center in Mathematics and Applications (CIMA-UE), Institute for Advanced Studies and Research, Department of Mathematics, School of Science and Technology, University of Évora, Rua Romão Ramalho 59, 7000-671 Évora, PortugalVirology Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, LithuaniaLaboratory of Immunology, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, LithuaniaDepartment of Veterinary Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, LithuaniaDepartment of Veterinary Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, LithuaniaLaboratory of Immunology, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, LithuaniaVarious animal species have been evaluated in depth for their potential as Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) sentinel species, although evidence for equine capacity is incomplete. Therefore, a comprehensive cross-sectional stratified serosurvey and PCR analysis of selected horses (<i>n</i> = 301) were performed in TBEV endemic localities in Lithuania. Attached and moving ticks (<i>n</i> = 241) have been collected from aforementioned hosts to evaluate natural infectivity of TBEV vectors (<i>Ixodes spp.</i>) in the recreational environments surrounding equestrian centers. All samples were screened for TBEV IgG and positive samples were confirmed by virus neutralization test (VNT). 113 (37.5%) horses from all counties of Lithuania tested positive for TBEV IgG, revealing age and sex indifferent results of equine seroprevalence that were significantly dependent on pedigree: horses of mixed breed were more susceptible to infection possibly due to their management practices. TBEV prevalence in equine species corresponded to TBEV-confirmed human cases in the precedent year. As much as 3.9% of horses were viraemic with TBEV-RNA with subsequent confirmation of TBEV European subtype. 4/38 of tested tick pools were positive for TBEV-RNA (Minimal infectious rate 1.2%). Several unknown microfoci were revealed during the study indicating areas of extreme risk close to popular human entertainment sites. The study provides important evidence in favor of horses’ usage as sentinel species, as equines could provide more detailed epidemiological mapping of TBEV, as well as more efficient collection of ticks for surveillance studies.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/2/140TBETBEVtick-borne encephalitisTBE seroprevalence |
| spellingShingle | Arnoldas Pautienius Austeja Armonaite Evelina Simkute Ruta Zagrabskaite Jurate Buitkuviene Russell Alpizar-Jara Juozas Grigas Indre Zakiene Dainius Zienius Algirdas Salomskas Arunas Stankevicius Cross-Sectional Study on the Prevalence and Factors Influencing Occurrence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Horses in Lithuania Pathogens TBE TBEV tick-borne encephalitis TBE seroprevalence |
| title | Cross-Sectional Study on the Prevalence and Factors Influencing Occurrence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Horses in Lithuania |
| title_full | Cross-Sectional Study on the Prevalence and Factors Influencing Occurrence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Horses in Lithuania |
| title_fullStr | Cross-Sectional Study on the Prevalence and Factors Influencing Occurrence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Horses in Lithuania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cross-Sectional Study on the Prevalence and Factors Influencing Occurrence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Horses in Lithuania |
| title_short | Cross-Sectional Study on the Prevalence and Factors Influencing Occurrence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Horses in Lithuania |
| title_sort | cross sectional study on the prevalence and factors influencing occurrence of tick borne encephalitis in horses in lithuania |
| topic | TBE TBEV tick-borne encephalitis TBE seroprevalence |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/2/140 |
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