Antibodies to West Nile virus and related flaviviruses in wild boar, red foxes and other mesomammals from Spain

Abstract

in red foxes, 12.6 ± 2.8% (69 out of 545) in wild boars, and 3.3 ± 2.7% (6 out of 177) in 22

Spatio-temporal trends and risk factors affecting West Nile virus and related flavivirus exposure in Spanish wild ruminants

“…Moreover, lower seroprevalences were detected in yearling while-tailed deer but no association with age was observed [22, 23]. Our findings are also consistent with the increase in WNV and related flavivirus seroprevalence with age found in wild boar [10]. Although flavivirus antibody persistence in artiodactyl species is unknown, a longer time span of possible exposure and antibody persistence could be associated with the higher seroprevalence found in adult individuals.…”

“…The seroprevalence data obtained indicates widespread but not homogeneous distribution of these flaviviruses in wild ruminants in Spain. Consistently with other studies, seroprevalence of flaviviruses in both farmed and free-living wild ruminants, mainly WNV, was higher in southern Spain, namely in bioregions 3, 4 and 5 [10, 38, 39]. In fact, bioregion 5 includes the provinces with the highest number of WNV outbreaks reported in horses and humans and the area where BAGV infection caused high mortality in wild game birds in 2010 [18, 40].…”

“…In our study, no antibodies were detected in roe deer, potentially due to the small sample size, while a similar study in the Czech Republic reported flavivirus exposure in roe deer, mouflons, fallow deer and red deer [24]. Remarkably, wild ruminants and specifically red deer showed lower seroprevalence to WNV and related flaviviruses than other artiodactyl species such as wild boar from the same regions and periods [10, 27]. In North America, Culex family mosquitoes (flavivirus vector) have shown a preference of feeding on deer [35].…”

“…Five of them have circulated in Spain in the last decade. WNV exposure has been documented in mosquitoes [4], wild birds [5, 6] and different mammalian species, including humans [7], horses [8], dromedary camels ( Camelus dromedarios ) [9], wild boar ( Sus scrofa ) and Iberian pigs and red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) [10]. Clinical disease and mortality associated with WNV infection has also been detected in wild birds, horses and humans in this country [11, 12].…”

“…In addition, fatal cases of WN fever were reported in white-tailed deer and reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus ) in North America [25, 26]. Serosurveillance on WNV and related flaviviruses has also been performed in wild and domestic Spanish animals such as wild boar, red deer ( Cervus elaphus ), Iberian pigs, red foxes, and others [8, 10]. Accordingly, 0.2 % yearling red deer from south-western Spain had antibodies against WNV or cross-reacting flaviviruses [27].…”