Association of Australian Arboviruses With Nervous Disease in Horses

Using a monoclonal antibody directed to domain I of the West Nile virus (WNV) envelope (E) protein, we identified a continuous (linear) epitope that was immunogenic during WNV infection of horses. Using synthetic peptides, this epitope was mapped to a 19 aa sequence (WN19: E147-165) encompassing the WNV NY99 E protein glycosylation site at position 154. The inability of WNV-positive horse and mouse sera to bind the synthetic peptides indicated that glycosylation was required for recognition of peptide WN19 by WNV-specific antibodies in sera. N-linked glycosylation of WN19 was achieved through expression of the peptide as a C-terminal fusion protein in mammalian cells and specific reactivity of WNV-positive horse sera to the glycosylated WN19 fusion protein was shown by Western blot. Additional sera collected from horses infected with Murray Valley encephalitis virus (MVEV), which is similarly glycosylated at position E154 and exhibits high sequence identity to WNV NY99 in this region, also recognized the recombinant peptide. Failure of most WNV-and MVEV-positive horse sera to recognize the epitope as a deglycosylated fusion protein confirmed that the N-linked glycan was important for antibody recognition of the peptide. Together, these results suggest that the induction of antibodies to the WN19 epitope during WNV infection of horses is generally associated with E protein glycosylation of the infecting viral strain.

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“…been reported previously (Gard et al, 1977), we cannot be certain of the aetiological agent of these infections.…”

Section: Peptide Wn19 Is Also Recognized By Mvevimmune Horse Seramentioning

confidence: 58%

A glycosylated peptide in the West Nile virus envelope protein is immunogenic during equine infection

Hobson‐Peters

Toye²,

Sánchez

et al. 2008

Journal of General Virology

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“…Only one of the horses developed clinical signs of disease, which occurred on day 8 postinfection, and thus outside the window for virus detection, highlighting the requirement for antibody-based diagnostic assays for horses as well. Infection of horses with KUNV or MVEV can also cause a neurological disease [12, 34–36], although experimental infection of a limited number of horses with MVEV failed to induce clinical symptoms [37]. In this study, five of the 11 experimentally infected animals had detectable levels of the virus in their blood from day 1 to day 5 postinfection.…”

Section: Considerations For the Development Of Flavivirus Diagnostmentioning

confidence: 77%

“…Kunjin virus is endemic in Northern Australia and in 2011 there was an outbreak of equine encephalitis with a 10–15% case fatality rate, caused by a virulent KUNV strain in South Eastern Australia [12]. In addition to KUNV and JEV, humans and horses also develop infections to MVEV and Kokoberra, which can also complicate serological diagnosis [34–37] (May et al, manuscript under revision). Indeed, sequential exposure to different flaviviruses enhances the production of flavivirus cross-reactive antibodies, leading to false positives in some serological assays [47].…”

Section: Considerations For the Development Of Flavivirus Diagnostmentioning

confidence: 99%

Approaches for the Development of Rapid Serological Assays for Surveillance and Diagnosis of Infections Caused by Zoonotic Flaviviruses of the Japanese Encephalitis Virus Serocomplex

Hobson‐Peters

2012

Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology

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Flaviviruses are responsible for a number of important mosquito-borne diseases of man and animals globally. The short vireamic period in infected hosts means that serological assays are often the diagnostic method of choice. This paper will focus on the traditional methods to diagnose flaviviral infections as well as describing the modern rapid platforms and approaches for diagnostic antigen preparation.

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“…That RRV infection occurs in the area is supported by the high antibody titres in horses, some of which had never travelled more than a few kilometres from the farm on which they had lived continuously since birth. Horses are susceptible to infection by RRV (Gard et al, 1977) and may play an important role as amplifying hosts (Gardetal, 1973).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ross River Virus Activity Along the South Coast of New South Wales

Cloonan

Vale

et al. 1982

Aust J Exp Biol Med

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Summary. The sera of 468 blood donors and 63 domestic animals, collected from the south coast of New South Wales, were tested for the presence of antibodies to Ross River virus. Antibodies were detected in 7% of human sera, 25% of cow sera and 65% of horse sera. Using the blood donors as 'human sentinels', seroconversions were demonstrated in two donors from the NowraKiama region and from a patient in the same area; none of the three had been outside of the study area during the period of seroconversion or at the time of infection. Ofthe 15 seropositive horses, 6 (40%) had lived continuously since birth on the farms on which they were bled. That humans and horses were infected with Ross River and not a related alphavirus was shown by microneutralization tests against Ross River virus and the other two alphaviruses (Getah, Sindbis) known to occur in Australia.

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Association of Australian Arboviruses With Nervous Disease in Horses

Cited by 38 publications

References 14 publications

A glycosylated peptide in the West Nile virus envelope protein is immunogenic during equine infection

A glycosylated peptide in the West Nile virus envelope protein is immunogenic during equine infection

Approaches for the Development of Rapid Serological Assays for Surveillance and Diagnosis of Infections Caused by Zoonotic Flaviviruses of the Japanese Encephalitis Virus Serocomplex

Ross River Virus Activity Along the South Coast of New South Wales

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