Serological Evidence of Henipavirus among Horses and Pigs in Zaria and Environs in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

Henipavirusisanemerging,zoonotic,andlethalRNAviruscomprisingHendravirus(HeV)andNipahvirus(NiV),towhichfruit batsarereservoir.HusbandrypracticesinNigeriaallowclosecontactbetweenbatreservoirandanimalssusceptibletoHenipavirus. This cross-sectional survey investigated antibodies reactive to Henipavirus sG antigen and associated risk factors in horses and pigs in Zaria, Nigeria. Using convenience sampling, 510 sera from horses (𝑛 = 200) and pigs (𝑛 = 310) were screened by an indirectHenipavirusenzyme-linkedimmunosorbentassay(ELISA)(CSIRO,Australia).Structuredquestionnaireswereemployed with questions on the demographics and management of the animals. Data were analysed using SPSS-17. 5. Seroprevalence was higherforhorsesmanagedintensively(21.1%);usedforsports(25.5%);wateredwithpipebornewater(17.9%);fedcommercialfeed (22.3%); and fed in the pen (17.6%). Seroprevalence was higher for pigs managed intensively (58.1%); imported (69.5%); watered with pipe-borne water (31.3%); fed commercial feed (57.4%); fed in the pen (23.4%), and fed with feed prestored in a feed house (49.5%).Horses <5yearsandpigs <6monthshadhigherseroprevalencesof18.1%and21.3%,whilethefemalehorsesandpigshad seroprevalences of 19.8% and 22.8%, respectively. Exotic horsesand pigs revealed 25.5% and 55% and horsesin Igabi and pigs in Giwa revealed 24.7% and 70.2% seroprevalence, respectively (𝑃 < 0.05). There is a suggestive evidence of Henipavirus in horses andpigsinZaria,Nigeria,withahugepublichealthimplication.Localandexoticpigsandhorses,pigsinZariaandSabon-Gari, andhorsesinZaria,Sabon-Gari,andKadunaNorthareassociatedwiththeseroprevalenceofhenipaviruses.