Naslov
Outbreak of equine influenza in Croatia in 2015 and post outbreak epidemiological situation

Autori
Barbić, Ljubo ; Savić, Vladimir ; Kovačević, Keti ; Kapetan, Jasmina ; Stevanović, Vladimir ; Kovač, Snježana ; Hađina, Suzana ; Milas, Zoran ; Starešina, Vilim ; Turk, Nenad ; Perharić, Matko ; Madić, Josip

Izvornik
Veterinarski arhiv (0372-5480) 88 (2018), 4; 437-451

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
equine influenza ; outbreak ; international transport ; seroprevalence ; ELISA ; IHA ; vaccination coverage ; Croatia

Sažetak
In March 2015, a few days after a major horse fair event in Bjelovar, Croatia, an equine influenza outbreak began and in the days that followed spread to more than 20 stud farms in the continental part of Croatia. The epidemiological investigation showed the importance of the national and international movement of asymptomatic carrier animals as a major risk factor for the introduction of the equine influenza virus and its spread in the naïve population. Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analyses confirmed that the EI outbreak was caused by an imported viral strain of the H3N8 subtype, phylogenetically similar to recent European strains belonging to Florida sublineage clade 2. The post-outbreak equine influenza seroprevalence in continental Croatia, based on ELISA testing, was 12.3% and varied between 1.1% and 32.6% on a county level. The highest seroprevalence in counties with predominantly sport and leisure horses highlighted animal management as a principal risk factor for equine influenza infection. On the other hand, variations in haemagglutination inhibition titres in the tested serum samples suggested different times of infection acquisition and unreported outbreaks of equine influenza in continental Croatia after the 2015 outbreak. Vaccination coverage, even after the large outbreak in 2015, was still below 10%, which suggests the lack of education of horse owners and represents a high risk for further outbreaks. In conclusion, influenza is a wide spread infection with multiple, often unrecorded, outbreaks in continental Croatia. A high risk of further outbreaks is present due to low vaccination coverage, an increase in the sport and leisure horse population and the intensive movement of those animals. In order to prevent further outbreaks of equine influenza in Croatia it is necessary to introduce adequate surveillance and mandatory vaccination at least for the sport and leisure horse population where there is international transport of animals.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Veterinarska medicina

POVEZANOST RADA