wnv_elisa_results.csv

This study presents the first investigation of flavivirus (West Nile virus, WNV) seroprev-12 alence among horses in Kazakhstan. In 2024, a total of 368 serum samples were collected 13 from horses across 106 settlements in 10 regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Using an 14 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), antibodies to flaviviruses were detected in 15 32 horses (8.7%; 95% CI: 6.2–12.0%) from six regions. Among the seropositive animals, 26 16 (81.25%) were females and 6 (18.75%) were males, ranging in age from 1 to 19 years. No 17 statistically significant association between sex and the presence of flavivirus (WNV) an-18 tibodies was found in any of the six regions (Fisher’s exact test p-values ranged from 0.18 19 in Zhetisu to 1.00 in Aktobe, Almaty, and Atyrau). Significant differences between age 20 groups were observed in Aktobe (χ² = 12.16; p = 0.002) and Turkestan (χ² = 4.20; p = 0.040). 21 In the remaining regions (Almaty, Zhetisu, West Kazakhstan, and Atyrau), no significant 22 age-related differences were recorded (p > 0.05). These findings confirm the circulation of 23 WNV among horse populations in Kazakhstan and highlight the practical value and ef-24 fectiveness of using horses as sentinel indicators for WNV surveillance.