ABSTRACT
The spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Lyme Group) is the causative agent of Lyme disease, transmitted to humans through tick bites carrying the bacteria. Common symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and the characteristic erythema migrans skin rash. If left untreated, the infection can affect joints, the cardiac system, and the nervous system. Diagnosis relies on symptoms, clinical signs (such as the rash), and potential exposure to infected ticks, with laboratory tests proving valuable when appropriately employed with validated methods. Most cases of Lyme disease respond effectively to a few weeks of antibiotic treatment. In Latin America, knowledge of Lyme disease is limited and often confounded, underscoring the significance of this review in aiding medical professionals in recognizing the disease. This study delves explicitly into Lyme disease in Argentina, neighboring countries, and other Latin American nations.
ABSTRACT
Bunyamwera virus (BUNV) is the prototype virus for both the Orthobunyavirus genus and the Bunyaviridae family. Different strains of BUNV have been associated with clinical diseases in domestic animals, mainly ruminants. During 2013, in Argentina's Santa Fe Province, three new isolates of BUNV were recovered from the brain and spleen of two horses with encephalitis, and from the brain of an aborted equine fetus. This isolation of BUNV from domestic animals provided the first association of BUNV infection with disease of the central nervous system and abortion in equines in Argentina.
Subject(s)
Bunyamwera virus/isolation & purification , Bunyaviridae Infections/veterinary , Encephalitis, Viral/veterinary , Horse Diseases/virology , Aborted Fetus/virology , Animals , Argentina/epidemiology , Bunyamwera virus/genetics , Bunyaviridae Infections/epidemiology , Bunyaviridae Infections/virology , Encephalitis, Viral/epidemiology , Encephalitis, Viral/virology , Horse Diseases/epidemiology , Horses , PhylogenyABSTRACT
St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) and West Nile virus (WNV) present ecological and antigenic similarities and are responsible for serious human diseases. In addition, WNV is a significant pathogen in terms of equine health. The purpose of our study was to analyse the seroprevalence of SLEV and WNV in equine sera collected in Santa Fe Province, Argentina. The seroprevalence determined using the plaque reduction neutralisation test was 12.2% for SLEV, 16.2% for WNV and 48.6% for a combination of both viruses. These results provide evidence of the co-circulation of SLEV and WNV in equines in Santa Fe.
Subject(s)
Encephalitis Virus, St. Louis/isolation & purification , Encephalitis, St. Louis/veterinary , Horse Diseases/virology , Horses/virology , West Nile Fever/veterinary , West Nile virus/isolation & purification , Animals , Argentina/epidemiology , Encephalitis Virus, St. Louis/immunology , Encephalitis, St. Louis/diagnosis , Encephalitis, St. Louis/epidemiology , Encephalitis, St. Louis/virology , Horse Diseases/diagnosis , Horse Diseases/epidemiology , Seroepidemiologic Studies , West Nile Fever/diagnosis , West Nile Fever/epidemiology , West Nile Fever/virology , West Nile virus/immunologyABSTRACT
St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) and West Nile virus (WNV) present ecological and antigenic similarities and are responsible for serious human diseases. In addition, WNV is a significant pathogen in terms of equine health. The purpose of our study was to analyse the seroprevalence of SLEV and WNV in equine sera collected in Santa Fe Province, Argentina. The seroprevalence determined using the plaque reduction neutralisation test was 12.2% for SLEV, 16.2% for WNV and 48.6% for a combination of both viruses. These results provide evidence of the co-circulation of SLEV and WNV in equines in Santa Fe.
