A total of 102 free-range wild boars, 170 hunting dogs, and 49 hunters from 3 Brazilian regions were sampled and tested for antibodies to eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), western equine encephalitis virus, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus. Three of the 102 (2.9%) wild boars were positive for antibodies against EEEV by microplate serum neutralization test. Based on our data, free-range wild boars from central-western Brazil may be exposed to EEEV, and further studies are needed to evaluate the potential of incorporating serosurveys in routine arbovirus activity surveillance specifically to identify arbovirus activity foci and to help establish thresholds for epidemic transmission.
Keywords: arboviruses; eastern equine encephalitis; hunting activities.