| dc.description.abstract | West Nile Virus (WNV) is a zoonotic RNA arbovirus belonging to the Flavivirus
genus of the Flaviviridae virus family. WNV is phylogenetically separated into several
genetic lineages, of which lineage 2 is currently responsible for the outbreaks in Hungary.
The virus circulates among mosquitoes belonging to the Culex genus and wild birds.
Moreover, humans and horses can also be accidental hosts of the virus, mainly
asymptomatically, but in some cases, a severe disease affecting the central nervous system
can develop. Licensed vaccines are available for horses against WNV infection, but infected
animals are believed to have life-long immunity to the virus. In this study, we summarize
the results of a 4-year-long follow-up investigation to prove the presence of long-lasting
immune protection in horses previously asymptomatically infected by WNV. | en_US |
