Abstract
In an effort to detect West Nile virus (WNV) in Brazil, we sampled serum from horses and chickens from the Pantanal region of the state of Mato Grosso and tested for flavivirus-reactive antibodies by blocking ELISA. The positive samples were further confirmed for serological evidence of WNV infection in three (8%) of the 38 horses and one (3.2%) of the 31 chickens using an 80% plaque-reduction neutralisation test (PRNT80). These results provide evidence of the circulation of WNV in chickens and horses in Pantanal.
Highlights
West Nile virus (WNV) genus Flavivirus; family Flaviviridae) was first detected in the Western Hemisphere during an outbreak of encephalitis in the state of New York in 1999
In South America, the first serological evidence of WNV activity was detected in horses in Colombia (Mattar et al 2005) and later in birds in Venezuela (Bosch et al 2007) and in Argentina (Diaz et al 2008)
The intent of the present study was to investigate the natural circulation of WNV by serological tests in domestic birds and equines in the north Pantanal Region, Mato Grosso (MT), to more completely document the area in which WNV may be transmitted within Brazil
Summary
West Nile virus (WNV) genus Flavivirus; family Flaviviridae) was first detected in the Western Hemisphere during an outbreak of encephalitis in the state of New York in 1999. In South America, the first serological evidence of WNV activity was detected in horses in Colombia (Mattar et al 2005) and later in birds in Venezuela (Bosch et al 2007) and in Argentina (Diaz et al 2008). The first occurrence was documented in 2010 by detection of seropositive horses in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (Pauvolid-Corrêa et al 2011).
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