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Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Sheep, Romania
Emerging Infectious Diseases
|November 18, 2017
Summary
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is understudied in Romania. High antibody prevalence in sheep indicates widespread TBE virus circulation, highlighting sheep as key sentinels for public health risk assessment.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a significant public health concern with limited data on its prevalence in Romania.
- Sheep serve as important sentinels for monitoring TBE virus (TBEV) activity due to their susceptibility and role as potential infection sources for humans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence and prevalence of TBE in Romania using sheep as sentinels.
- To assess the risk of TBEV transmission in northwestern Romania.
Main Methods:
- A serological survey was conducted on sheep populations across five counties in northwestern Romania.
- Antibody prevalence against TBEV was determined using standardized diagnostic assays.
Main Results:
- A high overall antibody prevalence of 15.02% for TBEV was detected in the surveyed sheep.
- Evidence of TBEV circulation was found in 80% of the tested localities, indicating widespread presence.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms significant TBEV circulation in northwestern Romania, with sheep exhibiting high antibody prevalence.
- Sheep are effective sentinels for TBE risk analysis, suggesting a considerable public health risk in the region.
