Vaccination of Zoo Birds against West Nile Virus—A Field Study
Felicitas Bergmann,
Dominik Fischer,
Luisa Fischer,
Heike Maisch,
Tina Risch,
Saskia Dreyer,
Balal Sadeghi,
Dietmar Geelhaar,
Lisa Grund,
Sabine Merz,
Martin H. Groschup,
Ute Ziegler
Affiliations
Felicitas Bergmann
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
Dominik Fischer
Der Gruene Zoo Wuppertal, Hubertusallee 30, 42117 Wuppertal, Germany
Luisa Fischer
Wildlife Research Institute, State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection North Rhine-Westphalia, Puetzchens Chaussee 228, 53229 Bonn, Germany
Heike Maisch
Thueringer Zoopark Erfurt, Am Zoopark 1, 99087 Erfurt, Germany
Tina Risch
Thueringer Zoopark Erfurt, Am Zoopark 1, 99087 Erfurt, Germany
Saskia Dreyer
Der Gruene Zoo Wuppertal, Hubertusallee 30, 42117 Wuppertal, Germany
Balal Sadeghi
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
Dietmar Geelhaar
Thueringer Zoopark Erfurt, Am Zoopark 1, 99087 Erfurt, Germany
Lisa Grund
Der Gruene Zoo Wuppertal, Hubertusallee 30, 42117 Wuppertal, Germany
Sabine Merz
Thueringer Zoopark Erfurt, Am Zoopark 1, 99087 Erfurt, Germany
Martin H. Groschup
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
Ute Ziegler
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
West Nile virus (WNV) is known to cause disease and death in humans and various animals worldwide. WNV has circulated in Germany since 2018. In 2020, four birds tested positive for the WNV genome at Zoopark Erfurt (Thuringia). Moreover, virus neutralization assays detected neutralizing antibodies (nAb) against WNV in 28 birds. In addition, nAb against WNV and Usutu virus (USUV) were found in 14 birds. To protect valuable animals and to reduce the risk of viral transmission from birds to humans, we performed a field study on WNV vaccination at the zoo. To conduct the study, 61 birds from the zoo were categorized into three groups and subjected to a vaccination regimen, where each bird received either 1.0 mL, 0.5 mL, or 0.3 mL of a commercial inactivated WNV vaccine three times. The vaccinations were administered at three-week intervals, or as per modified vaccination schedules. Furthermore, 52 birds served as non-vaccinated controls. Adverse vaccination reactions were absent. The greatest increase in nAb titres was observed in birds that received 1.0 mL of vaccine. However, pre-existing antibodies to WNV and USUV appeared to have a major effect on antibody development in all groups and in all bird species, whereas sex and age had no effect. After vaccination, no death was detected in vaccinated birds for more than 1 year.