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Roe deer as sentinels for endemicity of tick-borne encephalitis virus
H J Gerth1, D Grimshandl, B Stage
1Department of Medical Virology and Epidemiology of Viral Diseases, University of Tuebingen, Germany.
Epidemiology and Infection
|October 1, 1995
Summary
Serological surveys of roe deer are effective for mapping tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) spread. High antibody prevalence in deer correlates with human infection risk areas, aiding public health surveillance.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary epidemiology
- Arbovirology
- Wildlife disease surveillance
Background:
- Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) poses a public health risk.
- Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) are potential sentinels for TBEV circulation.
- Understanding TBEV distribution is crucial for risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of roe deer serological surveys for TBEV spread detection.
- To correlate TBEV antibody prevalence in roe deer with human infection risk zones.
- To identify optimal sampling strategies for wildlife disease surveillance.
Main Methods:
- Screening of 192 roe deer sera using Haemagglutination-Inhibition (HAI) and ELISA.
- Confirmation of positive results with Neutralization Test (NT).
- Analysis of antibody prevalence in relation to age and sex, and geographical distribution.
Main Results:
- 26.0% of sera were ELISA-positive, with 86.0% confirmed by HAI/NT.
- 24.5% of sera were HAI-positive, with 93.6% confirmed by NT/ELISA.
- Higher TBEV antibody prevalence observed in males; prevalence increased minimally with age.
Conclusions:
- Roe deer serosurveys are valuable tools for identifying TBEV risk areas for humans.
- Adequate sample size, particularly from male deer, is recommended for effective surveillance.
- Geographical distribution of seropositive deer aligns with human TBEV infection sites.