ProMED-mail |

Published Date: 2012-07-31 17:23:28
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> West Nile virus - Eurasia (02): Greece (XN) equine, OIE
Archive Number: 20120731.1223151

WEST NILE VIRUS - EURASIA (02): GREECE (XANTHI), EQUINE, OIE
************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: 30 Jul 2012
Source: OIE, WAHID (World Animal Health Information Database), weekly disease information [edited]
http://web.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=12164

West Nile Fever, Greece
-----------------------
Information received on 30 Jul 2012 from Mr Spiros Doudounakis, Director, Animal Health Directorate, Directorate General of Veterinary Services / Animal Health Directorare, Ministry of Rural Development and Food, Athens, Greece

Summary
Report type Immediate notification
Start date 19 Jul 2012
Date of 1st confirmation of the event 26 Jul 2012
Report date 30 Jul 2012
Date submitted to OIE 30 Jul 2012
Reason for notification Reoccurrence of a listed disease
Date of previous occurrence 31 Dec 2011
Manifestation of disease Sub-clinical infection
Causal agent West Nile virus
Nature of diagnosis Laboratory (basic)
This event pertains to the whole country

New outbreaks
Outbreak 1 (Xanthi 1) Xanthi 1, Anatoliki Makedonia Kai Thraki
Date of start of the outbreak 19 Jul 2012
Outbreak status Continuing (or date resolved not provided)
Epidemiological unit Farm
Affected animals
Species Equidae
Susceptible 15
Cases 1
Deaths 0
Destroyed 0
Slaughtered 0

Summary of outbreaks Total outbreaks: 1

Epidemiology Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection Unknown or inconclusive

Epidemiological comments Outbreak detected in the framework of active sero-surveillance (no clinical signs)

Control measures
Measures applied
No vaccination
No treatment of affected animals

Measures to be applied
No other measures

Laboratory name and type
Center of Athens Veterinary Institutes, Institute of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Virology Department (National laboratory)
Tests and results
Species Equidae
Test IgM-capture ELISA
Test date 26 Jul 2012
Result Positive

Future Reporting
The event is continuing. Weekly follow-up reports will be submitted.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[There have been 5 recent human cases in Athens including hospitalizations -- see West Nile virus - Eurasia: Greece 20120714.1202042.

The location of this subclinical outbreak in horses is far from Athens, near the border with Bulgaria and located on an island. Furthermore, it is a subclinical infection but given that we now have evidence of virus activity first in humans and now in horses, careful observation and surveillance is important to track the spread and pattern of disease in Greece and the region.

Greece has reported this disease in horses on a consistent basis over the last couple of years with 27 cases reported in 2010 and 17 cases reported in 2011. Also, nearby countries such as Bulgaria, Albania, Cyprus and Macedonia have also reported West Nile over the past few years. - Mod.PC

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1Gzi.]

See Also