Journal Article

West Nile Virus in the State of Ceará, Northeast Brazil

Cerqueira Lima, Pedro, Carício Martins, Lívia, Maia de Queiroz-Júnior, Eudson, Pauvolid-Corrêa, Alex, Rodrigues da Costa Faria, Nieli, Eielson Pinheiro de Sá, Marcos, Facundo Chaves, Cyro, Angélica Monteiro de Mello Mares-Guia, Maria, Medeiros Neves Casseb, Lívia, Sebastião Alberto Santos Neves, Maycon, Leal das Chagas, Liliane, das Chagas Almeida, Francisco, Williams Lopes da Silva, Antônio, dos Santos Rodrigues, Raí, Machado Rapello do Nascimento, Aline, Jean da Silva Moura, Paulo, Ferreira-de-Brito, Anielly, Henrique de Oliveira Passos, Pedro, Aldessandra Diniz Vieira, Maria, Maria Bispo de Filippis, Ana, Antônio de Oliveira Monteiro, Hamilton, Holanda Duarte, Bruna, Maria Simōes Mello, Leda, Roberio Soares Vieira, Antonio, Ribeiro Leite Jardim Cavalcante, Karina, Carneiro de Oliveira, Ailton, Osvaldo Rodrigues da Silva, Luiz, Giesbrecht Pinheiro, Rodrigo, Bergson Pinheiro Moura, Francisco, Garkauskas Ramos, Daniel, Leticia Cavalcante Ramalho, Izabel, Martins Guerra Campos, Vinícius, Cesar Lima de Mendonça, Marcos, Camila Amorim de Alvarenga Pivis

2021

Overview

In June 2019, a horse with neurological disorder was diagnosed with West Nile virus (WNV) in Boa Viagem, a municipality in the state of Ceará, northeast Brazil. A multi-institutional task force coordinated by the Brazilian Ministry of Health was deployed to the area for case investigation. A total of 513 biological samples from 78 humans, 157 domestic animals and 278 free-ranging wild birds, as well as 853 adult mosquitoes of 22 species were tested for WNV by highly specific serological and/or molecular tests. No active circulation of WNV was detected in vertebrates or mosquitoes by molecular methods. Previous exposure to WNV was confirmed by seroconversion in domestic birds and by the detection of specific neutralizing antibodies in 44% (11/25) of equids, 20.9% (14/67) of domestic birds, 4.7% (13/278) of free-ranging wild birds, 2.6% (2/78) of humans, and 1.5% (1/65) of small ruminants. Results indicate that not only equines but also humans and different species of domestic animals and wild birds were locally exposed to WNV. The detection of neutralizing antibodies for WNV in free-ranging individuals of abundant passerine species suggests that birds commonly found in the region may have been involved as amplifying hosts in local transmission cycles of WNV.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: Animals / Antibodies / Aquatic insects / Biological properties / Biological samples / Birds / Boa Viagem / Brazil / Ceará / Culicidae / Disease transmission / Domestic animals / Equidae / equids / Farms / Horses / Laboratories / Mosquitoes / Neighborhoods / Nervous system / nervous system diseases / Neurological diseases / Neurological disorders / Neutralizing / Passeriformes / PRNT / Questionnaires / Seroconversion / Species / Surveillance / Vector-borne diseases / Vertebrates / Viruses / West Nile virus