West Nile virus: The current situation in Egypt

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Virology
• Arthropod-borne Diseases
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Arthropod-borne viruses, including West Nile virus (WNV), pose a growing global health threat due to climate change.
• WNV has been detected in humans in Egypt since 1950, but its prevalence in the equine population remained uninvestigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the current status of WNV in Egypt.
• To determine the seroprevalence of WNV in equids.
• To identify risk factors associated with WNV infection in equids.

Main Methods:

• Screening of 1100 equine sera and nasal swabs, 156 mosquito pools, and 336 migratory bird swabs for WNV.
• Detection of WNV-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies in equine sera.
• Molecular detection of WNV RNA using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Main Results:

• Positive WNV IgG antibodies were found in equine sera, indicating past exposure.
• Horses showed higher susceptibility than donkeys, and males were more susceptible than females.
• Equids aged 5-10 years were more vulnerable to infection than younger or older animals. No WNV RNA was detected in any equine, bird, or mosquito samples.

Conclusions:

• The presence of WNV IgG antibodies highlights the need for ongoing surveillance in Egypt.
• Effective control programs are recommended to support epidemiological investigations and understand WNV dynamics.