The emergence of West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) in addition to the autochthonous tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in Europe causes rising concern for public and animal health. The first equine case of West Nile neuroinvasive disease in Austria was diagnosed in 2016. As a consequence, a cross-sectional seroprevalence study was conducted in 2017, including 348 equids from eastern Austria. Serum samples reactive by ELISA for either flavivirus immunoglobulin G or M were further analyzed with the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT-80) to identify the specific etiologic agent. Neutralizing antibody prevalences excluding vaccinated equids were found to be 5.3% for WNV, 15.5% for TBEV, 0% for USUV, and 1.2% for WNV from autochthonous origin. Additionally, reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed to detect WNV nucleic acid in horse sera and was found to be negative in all cases. Risk factor analysis did not identify any factors significantly associated with seropositivity.

• Klíčová slova
• Austria, Usutu virus, West Nile virus, epidemiology, flavivirus, horses, seroprevalence, tick-borne encephalitis virus,
• MeSH
• endemické nemoci veterinární   MeSH
• Equidae virologie   MeSH
• Flavivirus imunologie   MeSH
• infekce viry z rodu Flavivirus epidemiologie   veterinární   MeSH
• klíšťová encefalitida epidemiologie   veterinární   MeSH
• koně MeSH
• nemoci koní epidemiologie   MeSH
• protilátky virové krev   MeSH
• průřezové studie MeSH
• rizikové faktory MeSH
• séroepidemiologické studie MeSH
• virus západního Nilu imunologie   MeSH
• viry klíšťové encefalitidy imunologie   MeSH
• západonilská horečka epidemiologie   veterinární   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Rakousko epidemiologie   MeSH
• Názvy látek
• protilátky virové MeSH

Monitoring infectious diseases is a crucial part of preventive veterinary medicine in zoological collections. This zoo environment contains a great variety of animal species that are in contact with wildlife species as a potential source of infectious diseases. Wild birds may be a source of West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu (USUV) virus, which are both emerging pathogens of rising concern. The aim of this study was to use zoo animals as sentinels for the early detection of WNV and USUV in Slovenia. In total, 501 sera from 261 animals of 84 animal species (including birds, rodents, lagomorphs, carnivores, ungulates, reptiles, equids, and primates) collected for 17 years (2002-2018) were tested for antibodies to WNV and USUV. Antibodies to WNV were detected by indirect immunofluorescence tests in 16 (6.1%) of 261 animals representing 10 species, which were sampled prior to the first active cases of WNV described in 2018 in Slovenia in humans, a horse, and a hooded crow (Corvus cornix). Antibodies to USUV were detected in 14 out of 261 animals tested (5.4%) that were positive prior to the first positive cases of USUV infection in common blackbirds (Turdus merula) in Slovenia. The study illustrates the value of zoological collections as a predictor of future emerging diseases.

• Klíčová slova
• Usutu virus epidemiology, West Nile virus, biosurveillance, infectious diseases, zoo environment,
• MeSH
• Flavivirus imunologie   MeSH
• infekce viry z rodu Flavivirus krev   diagnóza   epidemiologie   imunologie   MeSH
• neutralizující protilátky krev   MeSH
• protilátky virové krev   MeSH
• virus západního Nilu imunologie   MeSH
• západonilská horečka krev   diagnóza   epidemiologie   imunologie   MeSH
• zvířata v ZOO klasifikace   virologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Slovinsko epidemiologie   MeSH
• Názvy látek
• neutralizující protilátky MeSH
• protilátky virové MeSH