Work

West Nile Virus in Wildlife and Nonequine Domestic Animals, South Africa, 2010–2018

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: West Nile virus (WNV) lineage 2 is associated with neurologic disease in horses and humans in South Africa.Surveillance in wildlife and nonequine domestic species during 2010-2018 identified WNV in 11 (1.8%) of 608 animals with severe neurologic and fatal infections, highlighting susceptible hosts and risk for WNV epizootics in Africa.W est Nile virus (WNV) is associated with febrile dis- ease, meningoencephalitis, and death in humans and horses (1,2).WNV infections are recognized on most continents but remain underreported in Africa.An 8-year study in horses with fever, neurologic signs, or both in South Africa described WNV lineage 2 as the cause of annual outbreaks; 93.7% of WNV-positive horses displayed neurologic signs, resulting in a 34.2% fatality rate (3).In the United States, clinical WNV disease has been reported in several nonequine species: birds, crocodiles, bats, wolves, cats, dogs, cattle, and sheep (4).The disease susceptibility of wildlife species in Africa and the role they play in amplifying the virus is unknown.We conducted surveillance for neurologic disease and death in animals other than horses in South Africa during 2010-2018 to determine potential WNV reservoir species, identify susceptible hosts, and highlight potential areas for targeted surveillance. The StudyA total of 608 specimens comprising central nervous system tissue, visceral organs, and whole blood from wildlife; nonequine domestic animals; and birds with neurologic, febrile, or respiratory signs or sudden unexpected death were submitted to the Centre for Viral Zoonoses, University of Pretoria (Pretoria, South Africa), during February 2010-June 2018.We extracted RNA from the samples using the

Source: Emerging infectious diseases

DOI: 10.3201/eid2512.190572