PREVALENCE OF BLUETONGUE VIRUS ANTIBODIESAND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS AMONGSHEEP AND GOAT IN EGYPT

Safaa M. Khaled*, Mohamed A. Goda, Faysal K. Arnaout, Elsayed M. Galila and Sayed A. Salem

ABSTRACT

Bluetongue is an infectious and non-contagious arthropod borne viral disease of Domestic and wild ruminants namely sheep, goat, cattle, camels, llamas, deer and antelopes. Bluetongue virus is a segmented double-stranded RNA virus and is transmitted by midges belonging to Culicoides spp. This study is to evaluate the current situation of BTV in Egypt particularly no obligatory vaccination, by estimating the prevalence of Bluetongue antibodies in sheep, goats and identify the potential risk factors associated with BTV infection among sheep and goats during 2016-2017. Blood samples were collected from native breed of sheep (237) and goats (370) from twelve provinces, for detection of BTV antibodies and antigen by using ELISA and detection of BTV RNA by using RT-PCR. It was found that the number of positive sera of BTV antibodies were detected in (86/370) 23.2% of sheep and (26/237) 10.9 % of goats indicating higher susceptibility of sheep than goats. The highest prevalence of bluetongue group specific antibodies was detected in Aswan, Elwadi elgadid, Giza and Marsamatrouh governorates while Portsaed governorate was negative. The examined blood (seropositive samples) were negative for the presence of BTV antigen and BTV RNA.This study indicated that costal and border provinces of Egypt, the intensity of the insect vector, seasons of the year, the age and sex of animal are Influential risk factors for BTV infection in sheep and goats. The results showed that ELISA and real-time PCR assay is rapid, sensitive, and equally specific in the diagnosis of BTV.

Keywords: Bluetongue virus, sheep, goats, ELISA, PCR.