Europe review spotlights horses in West Nile surveillance

West Nile virus is getting a fresh veterinary spotlight in Europe, with a new narrative review in Pathogens arguing that horses should be used more deliberately as sentinel animals within One Health surveillance systems. The paper, published in March 2026, synthesizes European data on epidemiology, mosquito ecology, environmental drivers, and surveillance, and concludes that equine serology can often detect local viral circulation before wider human recognition. The authors also place that argument in a broader context: West Nile virus has been moving northward in Europe, with more than 20 countries reporting infections in humans, horses, or wildlife by 2023, while EU agencies continue coordinated surveillance across humans, equids, birds, and vectors. (mdpi.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the review reinforces that horses aren't just spillover hosts, they can be practical early-warning indicators for local transmission when surveillance is integrated with bird, mosquito, and public health data. That matters as Europe’s 2025 season showed continued geographic spread, including first-ever animal outbreak reports to the EU system from Belgium and Cyprus, and the first equine outbreak reported by the Netherlands. The review also emphasizes a familiar clinical challenge: most equine infections are subclinical, but neuroinvasive disease can be severe, making vaccination timing, diagnostic readiness, and local surveillance links especially important in practice. (mdpi.com)

What to watch: As the 2026 mosquito season develops, watch for whether more countries and regions formalize horse-based serosurveillance alongside mosquito, bird, and human monitoring, especially in newly affected northern areas. (mdpi.com)