{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T08:40:19Z","timestamp":1791362419009,"version":"4.3.1"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,28]],"date-time":"2020-09-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1601251200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) are arboviruses transmitted by mosquito vectors. Whereas WNV is endemic in Israel, the Middle East, Europe, and in the Americas, data regarding the prevalence of USUV in the Middle East is limited. While both viruses share similar reservoirs and vectors, exposure of horses in the area to USUV have never been assessed. The aim of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence and co-exposure of WNV and USUV in horses in Israel. A total of 327 serum samples from healthy unvaccinated horses in Israel collected in 2018 were tested for neutralizing antibodies against WNV and USUV. Seroprevalence for neutralizing antibodies against WNV and USUV was 84.1% and 10.8%, respectively. Management and age were significantly associated with WNV and USUV seropositivity. This is the first report describing exposure of horses in Israel to USUV, which indicates that this zoonotic pathogen should be included in the differential diagnosis list of neuroinvasive disease in this country.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v12101099","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,28]],"date-time":"2020-09-28T20:03:02Z","timestamp":1601323382000},"page":"1099","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":14,"title":["Exposure of Horses in Israel to West Nile Virus and Usutu Virus"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9202-9841","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gili","family":"Schvartz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel"},{"name":"Department of Virology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan 50200, Israel"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3810-8418","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sharon","family":"Tirosh-Levy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Oran","family":"Erster","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Central Virology Laboratory, Haim Sheba Medical Center, Ministry of Health, Ramat-Gan 5265601, Israel"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Roni","family":"Shenhar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hadas","family":"Levy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6694-2872","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Barbara","family":"Bazanow","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology, Wroc\u0142aw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-375 Wroclaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Boris","family":"Gelman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Virology, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan 50200, Israel"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0984-6822","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amir","family":"Steinman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,9,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2856","DOI":"10.3390\/v5112856","article-title":"Differential virulence and pathogenesis of West Nile viruses","volume":"5","author":"Donadieu","year":"2013","journal-title":"Viruses"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"19894","DOI":"10.2807\/ese.16.25.19894-en","article-title":"Surveillance of West Nile virus disease, Tel Aviv district, Israel, 2005 to 2010","volume":"16","author":"Kopel","year":"2011","journal-title":"Eurosurveillance"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1107","DOI":"10.1093\/infdis\/jiv556","article-title":"Mosquito surveillance for 15 years reveals high genetic diversity among West Nile Viruses in Israel","volume":"213","author":"Lustig","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. 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