Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Prevalence in Sheep, Wild Boar and Ticks in Belgium
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is the most important tick-borne zoonotic virus in Europe. In Belgium, antibodies to TBEV have already been detected in wildlife and domestic animals, but up-to-date prevalence data for TBEV are lacking, and no studies have assessed its seroprevalence in sheep. S...
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/11/2362 |
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| author | Nadjah Radia Adjadj Muriel Vervaeke Charlotte Sohier Mickaël Cargnel Nick De Regge |
| author_facet | Nadjah Radia Adjadj Muriel Vervaeke Charlotte Sohier Mickaël Cargnel Nick De Regge |
| author_sort | Nadjah Radia Adjadj |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is the most important tick-borne zoonotic virus in Europe. In Belgium, antibodies to TBEV have already been detected in wildlife and domestic animals, but up-to-date prevalence data for TBEV are lacking, and no studies have assessed its seroprevalence in sheep. Serum samples of 480 sheep from all over Belgium and 831 wild boar hunted in Flanders (northern Belgium) were therefore screened for TBEV antibodies by ELISA and plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), respectively. The specificity of positive samples was assessed by PRNTs for TBEV and the Louping Ill, West Nile, and Usutu viruses. TBEV seroprevalence was 0.42% (2/480, CI 95%: 0.11–1.51) in sheep and 9.27% (77/831, CI 95%: 7.48–11.43) in wild boar. TBEV seroprevalence in wild boar from the province of Flemish Brabant was significantly higher (22.38%, 15/67) compared to Limburg (7.74%, 34/439) and Antwerp (8.61%, 28/325). Oud-Heverlee was the hunting area harboring the highest TBEV seroprevalence (33.33%, 11/33). In an attempt to obtain a Belgian TBEV isolate, 1983 ticks collected in areas showing the highest TBEV seroprevalence in wild boars were tested by real-time qPCR. No TBEV-RNA-positive tick was detected. The results of this study suggest an increase in TBEV prevalence over the last decade and highlight the need for One-Health surveillance in Belgium. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:34:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d5e07fd3344240e0a3e43de828583c0c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:34:43Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-d5e07fd3344240e0a3e43de828583c0c2023-11-24T07:15:57ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152022-10-011411236210.3390/v14112362Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Prevalence in Sheep, Wild Boar and Ticks in BelgiumNadjah Radia Adjadj0Muriel Vervaeke1Charlotte Sohier2Mickaël Cargnel3Nick De Regge4Unit of Exotic Viruses and Vector-Borne Diseases, Sciensano, 1180 Brussels, BelgiumAgency of Nature and Forests, 1000 Brussels, BelgiumUnit of Exotic Viruses and Vector-Borne Diseases, Sciensano, 1180 Brussels, BelgiumUnit of Veterinary Epidemiology, Sciensano, 1050 Brussels, BelgiumUnit of Exotic Viruses and Vector-Borne Diseases, Sciensano, 1180 Brussels, BelgiumTick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is the most important tick-borne zoonotic virus in Europe. In Belgium, antibodies to TBEV have already been detected in wildlife and domestic animals, but up-to-date prevalence data for TBEV are lacking, and no studies have assessed its seroprevalence in sheep. Serum samples of 480 sheep from all over Belgium and 831 wild boar hunted in Flanders (northern Belgium) were therefore screened for TBEV antibodies by ELISA and plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT), respectively. The specificity of positive samples was assessed by PRNTs for TBEV and the Louping Ill, West Nile, and Usutu viruses. TBEV seroprevalence was 0.42% (2/480, CI 95%: 0.11–1.51) in sheep and 9.27% (77/831, CI 95%: 7.48–11.43) in wild boar. TBEV seroprevalence in wild boar from the province of Flemish Brabant was significantly higher (22.38%, 15/67) compared to Limburg (7.74%, 34/439) and Antwerp (8.61%, 28/325). Oud-Heverlee was the hunting area harboring the highest TBEV seroprevalence (33.33%, 11/33). In an attempt to obtain a Belgian TBEV isolate, 1983 ticks collected in areas showing the highest TBEV seroprevalence in wild boars were tested by real-time qPCR. No TBEV-RNA-positive tick was detected. The results of this study suggest an increase in TBEV prevalence over the last decade and highlight the need for One-Health surveillance in Belgium.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/11/2362prevalencesheepwild boartick-borne encephalitisticksPRNT |
| spellingShingle | Nadjah Radia Adjadj Muriel Vervaeke Charlotte Sohier Mickaël Cargnel Nick De Regge Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Prevalence in Sheep, Wild Boar and Ticks in Belgium Viruses prevalence sheep wild boar tick-borne encephalitis ticks PRNT |
| title | Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Prevalence in Sheep, Wild Boar and Ticks in Belgium |
| title_full | Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Prevalence in Sheep, Wild Boar and Ticks in Belgium |
| title_fullStr | Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Prevalence in Sheep, Wild Boar and Ticks in Belgium |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Prevalence in Sheep, Wild Boar and Ticks in Belgium |
| title_short | Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Prevalence in Sheep, Wild Boar and Ticks in Belgium |
| title_sort | tick borne encephalitis virus prevalence in sheep wild boar and ticks in belgium |
| topic | prevalence sheep wild boar tick-borne encephalitis ticks PRNT |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/11/2362 |
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