Detection of antibodies against tick-borne encephalitis virus and other flaviviruses in a zoological collection in Slovenia

Kvapil, Pavel (author), Račnik, Joško (author), Kastelic, Marjan (author), Pittermannová, Pavlina (author), Avšič-Županc, Tatjana (author), Bártová, Eva (author), Sedlák, Kamil (author)

Monitoring infectious diseases is one of the most important pillars of preventative veterinary medicine in zoological collections. The zoo environment offers a great variety of different animal species living in proximity and in contact with small wild animals and vectors (e.g., ticks and mosquitos). In this context, tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Usutu virus (USUV), and West Nile virus (WNV) causing vector-borne diseases are emerging pathogens that raise concern. The aim of the study was to detect antibodies to selected flaviviruses in various animal species in the Ljubljana Zoo, Slovenia. In total, 874 sera from 96 animal species were tested for antibodies to TBEV by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA); positive samples were confirmed by a virus neutralization test (VNT) using TBEV, WNV, and USUV antigens. Antibodies to TBEV were detected by ELISA in 3.9% (34/874) of zoo animals, with 4% (30/753) in mammals and 5% (4/86) in birds; the sera of reptiles (n = 34) and amphibians (n = 1) were negative. Antibodies to TBEV were confirmed by VNT in 11 mammals; one bird was positive for both WNV and USUV. The mixture of exotic animal species and their contact with wild animals and vectors such as ticks and mosquitos suggest that screening of infectious diseases in zoo animals might provide good insight into the epizootological situation of the area. This is the first survey of TBEV, WNV, and USUV in a zoological collection in Slovenia.

• Language: English
• Keywords: West Nile virus, Usutu virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus, blood sampling, zoo animals
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: VF - Veterinary Faculty; MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Submitted for review: 31.03.2021
• Article acceptance date: 25.05.2021
• Publication date: 24.06.2021
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: 7 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 8, art. 688904
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-128326
• UDC: 636.09:578
• ISSN on article: 2297-1769
• DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.688904
• COBISS.SI-ID: 68656643
• Publication date in RUL: 08.07.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Frontiers in veterinary science
• Shortened title: Front. vet. sci.
• Publisher: Frontiers Media
• ISSN: 2297-1769
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3969402

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 24.06.2021

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P4-0092
• Name: Zdravje živali, okolje in varna hrana