title: Emergence of Equine West Nile Encephalitis in Central Macedonia, Greece, 2010.
abstract: During the summer of 2010, an outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) infections attributed to a lineage 2 WNV strain was reported among humans and horses in Central Macedonia, Northern Greece. Here, the clinical and laboratory investigation of horses that showed severe neurological signs due to WNV infection is being described. Specifically, between August and September 2010, 17 horses with neurological signs were detected. WNV infection was confirmed in all 17 clinical cases by applying laboratory testing. The duration of WNV-specific IgM antibodies in sera obtained from seven of the clinically affected horses was relatively short (10-60 days; mean 44 days). In the regional unit of Thessaloniki, (i) seroprevalence of WNV and fatality rate in horses were high (33% and 30%, respectively), and (ii) the ratio of neurological manifestations-to-infections for this virus strain was high (19%). These observations indicate that the strain responsible for the massive human epidemic of 2010 in Greece was also highly pathogenic for horses. This is the first time that WNV infection has been documented in horses with clinical manifestations in Greece. WNV infection should be included in the differential diagnosis of horses with encephalitis in Greece.
authors: Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.|NeuroCenter, Division of Neurological Sciences, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors: I G
authors: IG
authors: Bouzalas
authors: Equine Unit, Companion Animal Clinic, Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Diakakis
authors: Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.|Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors: S C
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1539-8237
authors: SC
authors: Chaintoutis
authors: Laboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors: G D
authors: GD
authors: Brellou
authors: Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Papanastassopoulou
authors: Department of Surveillance and Intervention, Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Athens, Greece.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Danis
authors: Laboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Vlemmas
authors: NeuroCenter, Division of Neurological Sciences, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Seuberlich
authors: Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. dovas@vet.auth.gr.|Diagnostic Laboratory, Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. dovas@vet.auth.gr.
authors: C I
authors: CI
authors: Dovas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D058872:Epidemics; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral
keywords: Greece; West Nile virus; diagnosis; horses; lineage 2; surveillance