Antibodies to arboviruses in house sparrows (Passer domesticus) in the Czech Republic

Abstract

From 1995 to 1997, house sparrows (Passer domesticus) (n = 273) from suburban area close to Kunin in the northeastern part of the Czech Republic were examined by using a haemagglutination-inhibition test (positive titre ≥ 20) for the presence of antibodies to arboviruses. Antibodies to Sindbis alphavirus, West Nile flavivirus, tick-borne encephalitis flavivirus, Ťahyňa bunyavirus, and Čalovo bunyavirus were detected at seroprevalences of 2.2%, 5.5%, 1.8%, 14.7%, and 2.2%, respectively. The study area seems to be an endemic focus of the Ťahyňa bunyavirus occurrence.