Horsetalk.co.nz West Nile Virus surveillance protocols needed for African equids, say scientists
Working horses on the road to the Simien Mountains National Park in Ethiopia. Photo by A.Davey
A high seroprevalence of West Nile Virus among equids in some regions of Africa shows that a workable regional or sub-regional surveillance protocol is required, according to researchers.
Olaolu Olufemi, Marta Barba and Janet Daly, in a review published in the journal
Pathogens, said their work highlighted the scarcity of seroprevalence studies among African equids for the virus.
West Nile Virus was first identified in Africa and is endemic. It is transmitted between birds by biting mosquitoes, with equids and humans being incidental hosts.