title: Tick-borne encephalitis virus seropositive dog detected in Belgium: screening of the canine population as sentinels for public health.
abstract: Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is an important emerging tick-borne viral infection of humans and dogs in Europe. Currently, TBEV surveillance is virtually nonexistent in Belgium, which is considered nonendemic. A commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was adapted for the detection of TBEV-specific IgG-antibodies in canine sera. Serum samples of Belgian dogs were obtained from three diagnostic laboratories from Northern (n=688) and Southern Belgium (n=192). ELISA-positive and borderline samples were subjected to a TBEV rapid fluorescent focus inhibition confirmation test. One dog was confirmed TBEV seropositive. Several ELISA-positive and borderline sera underwent seroneutralization and hemagglutinin inhibition tests to rule out West Nile and Louping Ill viruses, but tested negative. The clinical history of the seropositive dog could not explain beyond doubt where and when TBEV infection was acquired. Further surveillance is necessary to determine whether this dog remains a single travel-related case or whether it represents an early warning of a possible future emergence of TBEV.
authors.affiliation: Unit for Coordination of Veterinary Diagnosis, Epidemiology and Risk Assessment, Operational Directorate of Interactions and Surveillance, Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre, Groeselenberg 99, Brussels, Belgium. sophie.roelandt@var.fgov.be
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roelandt
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Heyman
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Filette
authors.forename: Sirkka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vene
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Van der Stede
authors.forename: Ann Brigitte
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Caij
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tavernier
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dobly
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: De Bosschere
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vyt
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meersschaert
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roels
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D004285:Dogs; D004669:Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004675:Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011634:Public Health; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic