Comparison of assays for the detection of West Nile virus antibodies in equine serum after vaccination

Abstract

The WNV that belongs to the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae was first isolated in Uganda in 1937. In nature, the WNV is maintained in a transmission cycle between birds and different mosquito species and may also cause infection in humans and horses. Clinical signs may vary from asymptomatic to severe neurological disease. Isolation of the WNV of lineage 2 occurred in Hungary in 2004 from a deceased goshawk and was followed by cases in humans and domesticated mammals in the upcoming years. In Europe, an inactivated vaccine (Equip ® WNV, formerly Duvaxyn ® WNV) was licensed for horses in 2008. The aims of the study were to compare the diagnostic value of the ELISA and the HAI test regarding detection of WNV infection in horses as well as to investigate whether differentation between acutely infected and recently vaccinated horses was possible by ELISA or HAI test.