Eastern equine encephalitis cases among horses in Brazil between 2005 and 2009.

Abstract

Eastern equine encephalitis is a viral zoonosis that exhibits complex distribution and epidemiology, and greater importance should be given to this disease by the public-health authorities. In Brazil, although eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) has been identified in vectors and antibodies are sometimes detected in horses and humans, there have been no records of equine encephalitis in horses caused by this virus during the last 24 years. This study describes eighteen cases of eastern equine encephalomyelitis that occurred in six Brazilian states between 2005 and 2009. Viral RNA was identified using semi-nested RT-PCR to detect members of the genus Alphavirus, and by genetic sequencing. The gene encoding NSP1 was partially amplified, and after genetic sequencing, eighteen sequences were generated. All eighteen strains were classified as belonging to lineage III of American EEEV. These findings could be an indication of the importance of this virus in animal and human public health.

• Authors: Rafael de Novaes Oliveira, Keila Iamamoto, Maria Luana Cristiny Rodrigues Silva, Samira Maria Achkar, Juliana Galera Castilho, Ekaterina Durymanova Ono, Renata Spinelli Vaz Lobo, Paulo Eduardo Brandão, Pedro Carnieli Jr, Maria Luiza Carrieri, Ivanete Kotait, Carla Isabel Macedo
• Journal: Archives of virology (Arch Virol) Vol. 159 Issue 10 Pg. 2615-20 (Oct 2014) ISSN: 1432-8798 [Electronic] Austria
• PMID: 24862186 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• RNA, Viral

Topics

• Animals
• Base Sequence
• Brain Stem (virology)
• Brazil (epidemiology)
• Cerebellum (virology)
• Encephalitis Virus, Eastern Equine (classification, genetics, pathogenicity)
• Encephalomyelitis, Eastern Equine (epidemiology, veterinary, virology)
• Horse Diseases (epidemiology, virology)
• Horses (virology)
• Mice
• RNA, Viral (isolation & purification)
• Sequence Analysis, DNA