West Nile virus-neutralizing antibodies in wild birds from southern Spain
Epidemiology and Infection·
- DOI
- 10.1017/s0950268816000133
- PMID
- 26846720
- PMCID
- PMC9150652
- OpenAlex
- W2417323533
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
The findings are relevant to arbovirus ecology and bird-based monitoring because birds are described as the main reservoir hosts for WNV. The abstract also places the results in relation to horse-farm occurrence in southern Spain during 2013.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The article asks whether wild birds in southern Spain had evidence of antibodies that neutralize West Nile virus, with comparison to Usutu virus in some samples.
Study design
This is a peer-reviewed journal article reporting antibody testing in bird serum samples. The abstract describes an ELISA screen followed by neutralization tests for positive and doubtful results.
Population and setting
The study tested 149 birds from 32 species in southern Spain. One confirmed positive bird was a resident juvenile Sylvia melanocephala, and one adult Turdus merula showed neutralization to both viruses.
Main findings
WNV antibodies were confirmed in one resident juvenile bird, which the authors interpret as supporting local transmission in southern Spain in 2013. They also report one blackbird serum sample with neutralization of both WNV and Usutu virus.
Public-health relevance
The findings are relevant to arbovirus ecology and bird-based monitoring because birds are described as the main reservoir hosts for WNV. The abstract also places the results in relation to horse-farm occurrence in southern Spain during 2013.
Important limitations
The summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata, so only explicitly reported results can be assessed. The abstract does not provide full methods, sample timing, or enough detail for decision-grade interpretation without the original paper.
GIDS interpretation
This paper is discoverable as a historical, peer-reviewed report of WNV antibody evidence in wild birds from southern Spain. It provides context for past circulation in that setting, but it should not be treated as a live surveillance signal.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 8 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.