A survey for antibodies to equine arteritis virus in donkeys, mules and zebra using virus neutralisation (VN) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

A seroepidemiological survey of donkeys in South Africa (n = 4300) indicated a wide distribution and increasing prevalence of antibodies to equine arteritis virus (EAV). Donkey sera inhibited equine arteritis virus infection in virus neutralisation (VN) tests and in ELISA specifically bound to a recombinant antigen derived from the Bucyrus isolate of EAV. These results suggest that donkeys have been exposed to the same serotype of this virus as circulates among horses. A good correlation existed between EAV neutralising antibody titres and ELISA absorbance values (0.8631); the ELISA was sensitive and specific (99.2% and 80.3% respectively) for donkey sera when compared to the VN test and the recombinant ELISA antigen did not crossreact with sera positive for common African equine pathogens. VN+ ELISA+ donkeys were also found in Morocco and Zimbabwe and seropositive mules in both South Africa and Morocco. No seropositive zebra (n = 266) were detected from game reserves or zoos in 9 countries. The results confirm that in addition to horses and donkeys, mules are naturally infected with EAV.