Detection of Serological Markers for West Nile Virus in Blood Sera of Horses, Collected in Selected Areas of the European Part of Russia
E. A. Gusev,
S. K. Udovichenko,
E. V. Putintseva,
A. Yu. Koloskova,
L. A. Pechenkina,
N. G. Plekhanova,
A. V. Toporkov https://doi.org/10.21055/0370-1069-2025-4-61-67
Abstract
The aim of the work was to detect antibodies to the West Nile fever (WNV) agent in horse blood sera collected in selected areas of the southern and central regions of the European part of Russia.
Materials and methods. A competitive enzyme immunoassay was used to test 396 horse blood sera samples from 7 constituent entities of the Russian Federation: the Republics of Adygea, Kalmykia, Mordovia, as well as Kaluga, Oryol, Orenburg and Kirov Regions for the presence of total antibodies to West Nile virus (WNV).
Results and discussion. Contact with the WNV was confirmed in horses in 4 regions of Russia. The average immunity level to WNV was 8.3 % (95 % CI: 4.4–12.3). The highest frequency of antibodies to the WNF pathogen was registered in the Republic of Kalmykia (27.8 %; 95 % CI: 14.6–41.0), including the city of Elista (13.6 %; 95 % CI: 7.2–20.1), Iki-Burulsky and Tselinny districts (48.0 % each; 95 % CI: 25.2–70.8). The proportion of seropositive horses in the Republic of Kalmykia is comparable in its values with the indicators obtained in earlier studies in the Volgograd and Astrakhan Regions. In the Kirov Region, the proportion of positive samples was 2.0 % (95 % CI 1.1–2.9), in the Oryol Region – 2.0 % (95 % CI: 1.1–3.0), and in the Republic of Mordovia – 8.0 % (95 % CI: 4.2–11.8). Until 2024, there was no evidence of local circulation of WNV in these regions. Serological testing of horses is important for obtaining an objective assessment of the intensity and prevalence of the WNV epizootic process in Russia.
About the Authors
E. A. Gusev
Volgograd Research Anti-Plague Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Evgeny A. Gusev,
7, Golubinskaya St., Volgograd, 400131
S. K. Udovichenko
Volgograd Research Anti-Plague Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
7, Golubinskaya St., Volgograd, 400131
E. V. Putintseva
Volgograd Research Anti-Plague Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
7, Golubinskaya St., Volgograd, 400131
A. Yu. Koloskova
Volgograd Research Anti-Plague Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
7, Golubinskaya St., Volgograd, 400131
L. A. Pechenkina
Volgograd Research Anti-Plague Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
7, Golubinskaya St., Volgograd, 400131
N. G. Plekhanova
Volgograd Research Anti-Plague Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
7, Golubinskaya St., Volgograd, 400131
A. V. Toporkov
Volgograd Research Anti-Plague Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
7, Golubinskaya St., Volgograd, 400131
References
1. Prislegina D.A., Maletskaya O.V., Taran T.V., Vasilenko N.F. [Vector-borne mosquito infections in the south of Russia (2013– 2022)]. Epidemiologiya i Infektsionnye Bolezni Aktual’nye Voprosy [Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases. Current Items]. 2024; 14(1):14–21. DOI: 10.18565/epidem.2024.14.1.14-21.
2. Yakimenko V.V., Rudakova S.A., Vasilenko A.G. [West Nile Fever in Western Siberia: Information Letter]. Omsk: “Omsk Scientific Bulletin”; 2020. 16 p.
3. Putintseva E.V., Udovichenko S.K., Nikitin D.N., Boroday N.V., Koloskova A.Yu., Antonov A.S., Bondareva O.S., Toporkov A.V. [West Nile fever in the Russian Federation in 2024, forecast for 2025]. Problemy Osobo Opasnykh Infektsii [Problems of Particularly Dangerous Infections]. 2025; (1):84–95. DOI: 10.21055/0370-1069-2025-1-84-95.
4. Vasilakis F.N., Kramer L.D., editors. History of Arbovirology: Memories from the Field. Volume II: Virus Family and Regional Perspectives, Molecular Biology and Pathogenesis. Springer; 2023. 535 p.
5. Kazorina E.V., Krasovskaya T.Yu., Kazantsev A.V., Shcherbakova S.A., Chastov A.A., Kutyrev V.V. [Investigation of live-stock animals seroprevalence to West Nile virus in the territory of the Saratov Region]. Problemy Osobo Opasnykh Infektsii [Problems of Particularly Dangerous Infections]. 2020; (1):97–102. DOI: 10.21055/0370-1069-2020-1-97-102.
6. Lvov D.N., Shchelkanov M.Yu., Dzharkenov A.F., Galkina I.V., Kolobukhina L.V., Aristova V.A., Alkhovsky S.V., Prilipov A.G., Samokhvalov E.I., Deryabin P.G., Voronina A.G., Vasiliev A.V., Bezzhonova O.V., Lvov D.K. [Population interactions of West Nile virus (Flaviviridae, Flavivirus) with arthropod vectors, vertebrates, and humans in the middle and lower belts of the Volga Delta, 2001–2006]. Voprosy Virusologii [Problems of Virology]. 2009; 54(2):36–43.
7. Surveillance, prevention and control of West Nile virus and Usutu virus infections in the EU/EEA. Technical report. [Internet]. (Cited 04 Aug 2025). Available from: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/Surveillance_prevention_and_control_of_WNV_and_Usutu_virus_infections_in_the_EU-EEA.pdf.
8. Guidelines for West Nile Virus Surveillance and Control. [Internet]. (Cited 01 Jul 2025). Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/west-nile-virus/php/surveillance-and-control-guidelines/index.html.
9. Angenvoort J., Brault A.C., Bowen R.A., Groschup M.H. West Nile viral infection of equids. Vet. Microbiol. 2013; 167(1-2): 168–80. DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.08.013.
10. Olufemi O.T., Barba M., Daly J.M. A scoping review of West Nile virus seroprevalence studies among African equids. Pathogens. 2021; 10(7):899. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10070899.
11. EU Reference Laboratory For equine diseases. Co-cir¬ culation of flaviviruses and vaccination within Europe. Evaluation of serological diagnostic tools in horses [Internet]. (Cited 08 Aug 2025). Available from: https://sitesv2.anses.fr/en/system/files/Cocirculation%20flavivirus%20and%20vaccination%20Europe.pdf.
12. Abad-Cobo A., Llorente F., Barbero M.D.C., Cruz-López F., Forés P., Jiménez-Clavero M.Á. Serosurvey reveals exposure to West Nile virus in asymptomatic horse populations in Central Spain prior to recent disease foci. Transbound. Emerg. Dis. 2017; 64(5):1387–92. DOI: 10.1111/tbed.12510.
13. Negodenko A.O., Molchanova E.V., Prilepskaya D.R. Konovalov P.Sh., Pavlyukova O.A., Skrynnikova E.A., Karunina I.V., Fomina V.K., Borodai N.V., Luchinin D.N. [Analysis of the results of monitoring arbovirus infections in the Volgograd region in 2019]. Epidemiologiya i Vaktsinoprofilaktika [Epidemiology and Vaccinal Prevention]. 2021; 20(1):51–9. DOI: 10.31631/2073-3046-2021-20-1-51-59.
14. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Factsheet about West Nile virus infection. [Internet]. (Cited 08 Aug 2025). Available from: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/westnile-fever/facts.
15. Messages of the Information and Analytical Center of the Rosselkhoznadzor. [Internet]. (Cited 08 Aug 2025). Available from: https://fsvps.gov.ru/jepizooticheskajasituacija/iac/?iac_numb=&iac_year=2024&iac_sort=date_begin&iac_order=ASC.
16. Onishchenko G.G., editor. [Collection of materials on the West Nile fever outbreak in the Russian Federation in 2010]. Volgograd: “VolgaPublisher”; 2011. 244 p.
17. Pilikova O.M., Derlyatko S.K., Belova M.V., Galtseva G.V., Klassovskaya A.E., Malay V.I. [Arboviruses and arbovirus infections in the territory of Krasnodar region and the Republic of Adygea]. Infektsiya i Immunitet [Russian Journal of Infection and Immunity]. 2012; 2(1-2):179–80.
18. Magallanes S., Llorente F., Ruiz-López M.J., Martínez-de la Puente J., Soriguer R., Calderon J., Jímenez-Clavero M.Á., Aguilera-Sepúlveda P., Figuerola J. Long-term serological surveillance for West Nile and Usutu virus in horses in south-West Spain. One Health. 2023; 17:100578. DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100578.
19. Gothe L.M.R., Ganzenberg S., Ziegler U., Obiegala A., Lohmann K.L., Sieg M., Vahlenkamp T.W., Groschup M.H., Hörügel U., Pfeffer M. Horses as sentinels for the circulation of flaviviruses in Eastern-Central Germany. Viruses. 2023; 15(5):1108. DOI: 10.3390/v15051108.
20. Naidenova E.V., Zakharov K.S., Blinova K.D., Shvidenko I.G., Boiko A.V., Shcherbakova S.A. [Usutu virus (Flaviviridae, Orthoflavivirus). Potential hazard and a possibility of spread on the territory of the Russian Federation]. Problemy Osobo Opasnykh Infektsii [Problems of Particularly Dangerous Infections]. 2023; (3):22–32. DOI: 10.21055/0370-1069-2023-3-22-32.
Review
For citations:
Gusev E.A., Udovichenko S.K., Putintseva E.V., Koloskova A.Yu., Pechenkina L.A., Plekhanova N.G., Toporkov A.V. Detection of Serological Markers for West Nile Virus in Blood Sera of Horses, Collected in Selected Areas of the European Part of Russia. Problems of Particularly Dangerous Infections. 2025;(4):61-67. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21055/0370-1069-2025-4-61-67
Views:
20
JATS XML
Email this article 