Antibodies to alphavirus, flavivirus, and bunyavirus arboviruses in house sparrows (Passer domesticus) and tree sparrows (P. montanus) in Poland.

ABSTRACT

Sparrows from central Poland were examined by a hemagglutination-inhibition test (titer > or = 20) for the presence of antibodies to arboviruses, between 1995 and 1996. In house sparrows (Passer domesticus) (n = 179), antibodies to Sindbis, West Nile, tick-borne encephalitis, Tahyna, and Calovo viruses were detected at seroprevalences of 1.1%, 2.8%, 1.1%, 2.8%, and 1.1%, respectively. In tree sparrows (P. montanus) (n = 33), antibodies to the Sindbis, West Nile, and Tahyna viruses were detected at seroprevalences of 9.1%, 12.1%, and 3.0%, respectively.