{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,27]],"date-time":"2026-09-27T03:51:39Z","timestamp":1790481099311,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,6]],"date-time":"2021-04-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1617667200000},"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>Monitoring infectious diseases is a crucial part of preventive veterinary medicine in zoological collections. This zoo environment contains a great variety of animal species that are in contact with wildlife species as a potential source of infectious diseases. Wild birds may be a source of West Nile virus (WNV) and Usutu (USUV) virus, which are both emerging pathogens of rising concern. The aim of this study was to use zoo animals as sentinels for the early detection of WNV and USUV in Slovenia. In total, 501 sera from 261 animals of 84 animal species (including birds, rodents, lagomorphs, carnivores, ungulates, reptiles, equids, and primates) collected for 17 years (2002\u20132018) were tested for antibodies to WNV and USUV. Antibodies to WNV were detected by indirect immunofluorescence tests in 16 (6.1%) of 261 animals representing 10 species, which were sampled prior to the first active cases of WNV described in 2018 in Slovenia in humans, a horse, and a hooded crow (Corvus cornix). Antibodies to USUV were detected in 14 out of 261 animals tested (5.4%) that were positive prior to the first positive cases of USUV infection in common blackbirds (Turdus merula) in Slovenia. The study illustrates the value of zoological collections as a predictor of future emerging diseases.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v13040626","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,6]],"date-time":"2021-04-06T10:34:12Z","timestamp":1617705252000},"page":"626","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":21,"title":["A Sentinel Serological Study in Selected Zoo Animals to Assess Early Detection of West Nile and Usutu Virus Circulation in Slovenia"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1424-4079","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pavel","family":"Kvapil","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Veterinary Department, Ljubljana Zoo, Ve\u010dna Pot 70, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"},{"name":"Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palack\u00e9ho t\u0159. 1946\/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jo\u0161ko","family":"Ra\u010dnik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Poultry, Birds, Small Mammals, and Reptiles, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Gerbi\u010deva 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marjan","family":"Kastelic","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Veterinary Department, Ljubljana Zoo, Ve\u010dna Pot 70, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9087-0880","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eva","family":"B\u00e1rtov\u00e1","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Palack\u00e9ho t\u0159. 1946\/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1501-1004","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mi\u0161a","family":"Korva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zalo\u0161ka 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mateja","family":"Jelov\u0161ek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zalo\u0161ka 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6243-0688","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tatjana","family":"Av\u0161i\u010d-\u017dupanc","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zalo\u0161ka 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Heinz, F.X., and Roehrig, J.T. 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