West Nile and Usutu virus seroprevalence in Hungary: A nationwide serosurvey among blood donors in 2019.
Authors: Nagy Anna, Csonka Nikolett, Takács Mária, Mezei Eszter, Barabás Éva
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# West Nile and Usutu virus seroprevalence in Hungary: implications for equine professionals Hungary experienced a substantial increase in West Nile virus (WNV) circulation following the 2018 European epidemic, with a nationwide serosurvey of 3,005 blood donors revealing WNV seroprevalence of 4.32% in 2019—nearly double the 2.19% recorded in 2016—alongside emerging evidence of Usutu virus (USUV) seropositivity in five donors. Using ELISA screening with confirmatory immunofluorescence and microneutralization assays, Nagy and colleagues identified a distinct geographic pattern, with the highest prevalence concentrated in Central, Eastern and Southern Hungary, whilst Western regions showed significantly lower exposure. The strong statistical correlation between 2019 seroprevalence and cumulative case incidence across regional areas (NUTS 3 regions) suggests that these hotspots represent persistent foci of vectorial transmission. For equine practitioners, these findings underscore the importance of vector surveillance and integrated arboviral monitoring across equine, avian, and arthropod populations in endemic regions, as horses often serve as sentinel species for WNV and USUV circulation; establishing baseline serological data in at-risk yards and communicating with veterinary colleagues about clinical case recognition could support early identification of equine infections before they progress to neurological disease.
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Practical Takeaways
- •This is a human epidemiology study with no direct equine application; equine populations are mentioned only as a suggested surveillance target for identifying high-risk areas
- •Not relevant to equine practitioners—this data concerns human blood donor screening and arboviral epidemiology in Hungary
Key Findings
- •West Nile virus seroprevalence in Hungary was 4.32% in 2019, representing a significant increase from 2.19% in 2016
- •Five blood donors (0.17%) showed confirmed Usutu virus seropositivity
- •Central, Eastern and Southern Hungary showed highest seroprevalence while Western regions were less affected
- •Strong spatial association between 2019 WNV seroprevalence and cumulative incidence over 2004-2019 period in regional analysis