New reviews make the case for horses in West Nile early warning

A new trio of review papers is sharpening the case for West Nile virus surveillance that treats horses as part of the early-warning system, not just spillover cases. In Pathogens, Paula Nistor, Livia Stanga, and Vlad Iorgoni argue that Europe’s West Nile epidemiology is being reshaped by warming conditions, shifting mosquito ecology, and continued spread into central and northern areas, while equine surveillance can help detect local circulation earlier within a One Health framework. A companion review in Veterinary Sciences focuses on the diagnostic limits veterinarians face in horses, especially short-lived, low-level viraemia and cross-reactivity in serology, and a third review in Viruses says Latin America has likely underrecognized human risk despite enzootic evidence in animals and vectors. The broader European backdrop is active: EFSA says it launched a West Nile dashboard in 2024 and continues joint One Health surveillance with ECDC across humans, equids, birds, and mosquitoes. (mdpi.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the message is practical: horses can provide useful local intelligence on viral circulation, but only if surveillance and diagnostics are set up to account for the disease’s blind spots. The Pathogens review notes that 153 equine outbreaks were reported across seven European countries in 2023, up 51% from 2022, while the Veterinary Sciences paper says molecular tests often miss infection because viraemia is brief, making paired serology, confirmatory neutralization testing, and coordinated reporting especially important in endemic and newly affected areas. (mdpi.com)

What to watch: Expect continued focus on integrated seasonal surveillance, especially as Europe tracks 2025 activity and veterinary authorities weigh how equine, avian, mosquito, and human data can be linked faster for earlier warnings. (efsa.europa.eu)