Serosurveillance for Japanese encephalitis virus in wild birds captured in Korea

J Vet Sci. 2011 Dec;12(4):373-7. doi: 10.4142/jvs.2011.12.4.373.

Abstract

Climate change induced by recent global warming may have a significant impact on vector-borne and zoonotic diseases. For example, the distribution of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) has expanded into new regions. We surveyed the levels of hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibodies against JEV (Family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus) in wild birds captured in Korea. Blood samples were collected from 1,316 wild birds including the following migratory birds: Oceanodroma castro (n = 4), Anas formosa (n = 7), Anas penelope (n = 20), Fulica atra (n = 30), Anas acuta (n = 89), Anas crecca (n = 154), Anas platyrhynchos (n = 214), Aix galericulata (n = 310), and Anas poecilorhyncha (n = 488). All were captured in 16 locations in several Korea provinces between April 2007 and December 2009. Out of the 1,316 serum samples tested, 1,141 (86.7%) were positive for JEV. Wild birds captured in 2009 had a higher seroprevalence of ant-JEV antibodies than those captured in 2007. Wild birds with an HI antibody titer of 1 : 1,280 or higher accounted for 21.2% (280/1,316) of the animals tested. These findings indicated that wild birds from the region examined in our study have been exposed to JEV and may pose a high risk for introducing a new JEV genotype into Korea.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animal Migration
  • Animals
  • Animals, Wild
  • Bird Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Bird Diseases / virology
  • Birds
  • Encephalitis Virus, Japanese / genetics
  • Encephalitis Virus, Japanese / isolation & purification*
  • Encephalitis, Japanese / blood
  • Encephalitis, Japanese / epidemiology
  • Encephalitis, Japanese / veterinary*
  • Encephalitis, Japanese / virology
  • Genotype
  • Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests
  • Population Surveillance
  • Republic of Korea / epidemiology
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies