Prevalence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Antibodies in Domestic and Game Animals from Eastern Poland

Serum samples from 123 cattle, 95 wild boars, and 43 deer (red deer, roe deer, and fallow deer) from the territory of eastern Poland were examined by the ELISA for the presence of specific antibodies against tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). The rates of positive response in the animals were 4.1%, 16.8%, and 11.6%, respectively. Examination of 37 blood samples from deer with RT-PCR revealed only one positive result in a roe deer (2.7%). The relatively high serologic response rate in wild boars was due to a very high response rate (35.7%) in the Chełm district, which accounted for 94% of the total positive results. These findings seem to indicate that the Chełm district is most probably an endemic area of TBEV.