{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,24]],"date-time":"2026-06-24T16:45:08Z","timestamp":1782319508082,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,31]],"date-time":"2021-01-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1612051200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Funded by Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic Lithuania","award":["MT-18-5"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MT-18-5"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Various animal species have been evaluated in depth for their potential as Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) sentinel species, although evidence for equine capacity is incomplete. Therefore, a comprehensive cross-sectional stratified serosurvey and PCR analysis of selected horses (n = 301) were performed in TBEV endemic localities in Lithuania. Attached and moving ticks (n = 241) have been collected from aforementioned hosts to evaluate natural infectivity of TBEV vectors (Ixodes spp.) in the recreational environments surrounding equestrian centers. All samples were screened for TBEV IgG and positive samples were confirmed by virus neutralization test (VNT). 113 (37.5%) horses from all counties of Lithuania tested positive for TBEV IgG, revealing age and sex indifferent results of equine seroprevalence that were significantly dependent on pedigree: horses of mixed breed were more susceptible to infection possibly due to their management practices. TBEV prevalence in equine species corresponded to TBEV-confirmed human cases in the precedent year. As much as 3.9% of horses were viraemic with TBEV-RNA with subsequent confirmation of TBEV European subtype. 4\/38 of tested tick pools were positive for TBEV-RNA (Minimal infectious rate 1.2%). Several unknown microfoci were revealed during the study indicating areas of extreme risk close to popular human entertainment sites. The study provides important evidence in favor of horses\u2019 usage as sentinel species, as equines could provide more detailed epidemiological mapping of TBEV, as well as more efficient collection of ticks for surveillance studies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens10020140","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,31]],"date-time":"2021-01-31T21:31:56Z","timestamp":1612128716000},"page":"140","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":16,"title":["Cross-Sectional Study on the Prevalence and Factors Influencing Occurrence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis in Horses in Lithuania"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4494-2724","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Arnoldas","family":"Pautienius","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Virology Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania"},{"name":"Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Austeja","family":"Armonaite","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Evelina","family":"Simkute","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ruta","family":"Zagrabskaite","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute, J. Kairiukscio Str. 10, LT-08409 Vilnius, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jurate","family":"Buitkuviene","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute, J. Kairiukscio Str. 10, LT-08409 Vilnius, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8806-3345","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Russell","family":"Alpizar-Jara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Center in Mathematics and Applications (CIMA-UE), Institute for Advanced Studies and Research, Department of Mathematics, School of Science and Technology, University of \u00c9vora, Rua Rom\u00e3o Ramalho 59, 7000-671 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2450-5700","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Juozas","family":"Grigas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Virology Laboratory, Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania"},{"name":"Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8372-1887","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Indre","family":"Zakiene","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dainius","family":"Zienius","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Algirdas","family":"Salomskas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Arunas","family":"Stankevicius","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilzes str. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,1,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ttbdis.2010.10.007","article-title":"Tick-Borne encephalitis 2010: Epidemiology, risk areas, and virus strains in Europe and Asia\u2014An overview","volume":"2","year":"2011","journal-title":"Ticks Tick Borne Dis."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"268","DOI":"10.1111\/ene.13486","article-title":"Epidemiological patterns of tick-borne encephalitis in Lithuania and clinical features in adults in the light of the high incidence in recent years: A retrospective study","volume":"25","author":"Jasionis","year":"2018","journal-title":"Eur. 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