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Screening for West Nile virus infections of susceptible animal species in Austria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 October 2003

H. WEISSENBÖCK
Affiliation:
Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
Z. HUBÁLEK
Affiliation:
Medical Zoology Laboratory, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Klásterní 2, CZ-69142 Valtice, Czech Republic
J. HALOUZKA
Affiliation:
Medical Zoology Laboratory, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Klásterní 2, CZ-69142 Valtice, Czech Republic
A. PICHLMAIR
Affiliation:
Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
A. MADERNER
Affiliation:
Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
K. FRAGNER
Affiliation:
Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
J. KOLODZIEJEK
Affiliation:
Clinical Virology Group, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
G. LOUPAL
Affiliation:
Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria
S. KÖLBL
Affiliation:
Federal Ministry for Social Security and Generations, Franz Josefs Kai 51, A-1010 Vienna, Austria
N. NOWOTNY
Affiliation:
Clinical Virology Group, Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, A-1210 Vienna, Austria Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
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Abstract

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Avian mortality and encephalomyelitis in equines are considered good indicators for West Nile virus (WNV) activity. We retrospectively tested 385 horse sera for WNV antibodies and looked for WNV nucleic acid and/or WNV antigen in paraffin embedded tissues from 12 horses with aetiologically unresolved encephalomyelitis and 102 free-living birds of different species which had been found dead. With the exception of four horses originating from eastern European countries investigated on the occasion of transit through Austria, all horse sera were negative. Nested RT-PCR of the horse tissues yielded no amplification of WNV-RNA. Also, all bird samples, examined by immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization and nested RT-PCR were negative for WNV. These results indicate that currently WNV cannot be considered a significant pathogen in Austria.

Type
Short Reports
Copyright
2003 Cambridge University Press