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Indigenous West Nile Virus Infections in Horses in A lbania
Author(s) -
Berxholi K.,
Ziegler U.,
Rexhepi A.,
Schmidt K.,
Mertens M.,
Korro K.,
Cuko A.,
Angenvoort J.,
Groschup M. H.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
transboundary and emerging diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.392
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1865-1682
pISSN - 1865-1674
DOI - 10.1111/tbed.12141
Subject(s) - west nile virus , indigenous , virology , geography , virus , biology , ecology
Summary Serum samples collected from 167 equines of 12 districts in A lbania were tested for West Nile virus–specific antibodies by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and virus neutralization assay, using WNV lineage 1 and 2. In addition, 95 bird serum samples from A lbania and 29 horse samples from K osovo were tested in ELISA . An overall seroprevalence rate of 22% was found in horses from A lbania, whereas no specific antibodies were found in the equine samples from K osovo and the bird samples. This is the first report indicating WNV infections in animals in A lbania, and the first reported seroprevalence study conducted for K osovo. These results provide evidence for widespread infections of WNV in A lbania.