Duration of bluetongue viraemia and serological responses in experimentally infected European breeds of sheep and goats

• Published in: Veterinary microbiology Vol. 64; no. 4; pp. 277 - 285
• Main Authors: Koumbati, M, Mangana, O, Nomikou, K, Mellor, P.S, Papadopoulos, O
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 12-02-1999; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Biological and medical sciences; BLUETONGUE; Bluetongue - immunology; BLUETONGUE VIRUS; Bluetongue virus - immunology; Bluetongue virus - pathogenicity; CAPRIN; CAPRINOS; Cercopithecus aethiops; Chick Embryo; Cricetinae; Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay - veterinary; EPIDEMIOLOGIA; EPIDEMIOLOGIE; EPIDEMIOLOGY; Experimental viral diseases and models; Female; FIEVRE CATARRHALE DU MOUTON; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect - veterinary; Goat; GOATS; Immunodiffusion - veterinary; IMMUNOLOGIE; IMMUNOLOGY; Infectious diseases; INMUNOLOGIA; LENGUA AZUL DE LOS OVINOS; Medical sciences; OVIN; OVINOS; Serology; SHEEP; Sheep-viruses; Time Factors; Vero Cells; Viraemia; Viral diseases; Viremia - immunology; Viremia - veterinary; VIRUS BLUETONGUE; VIRUS LENGUA AZUL; Viraemia; Sheep-viruses; Serology; Goat; Epidemiology; Bluetongue virus; Immune response; Viremia; Host specificity; Reoviridae; Infection; Virus; Symptomatology; Vertebrata; Experimental disease; Mammalia; Blue tongue disease; Viral disease; Animal; Orbivirus; Sheep; Artiodactyla; Veterinary; Ungulata; Humoral immunity
• ISSN: 0378-1135; 1873-2542
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-1135(98)00255-7

The duration of viraemia and the serological responses were studied in two breeds of sheep and two breeds of goats, experimentally infected with bluetongue (BT) virus serotype 4. Viraemia, detectable by cell culture and embryonated chicken egg inoculation, lasted from the third to sixth day until the 27th–54th day post infection (p.i.). Significant differences between sheep and goats were not recorded. Lesbos sheep and goats together appeared to have significantly longer viraemias (
n
=
9, mean 41.3 days) than east-Friesian sheep and Saanen goats (
n
=
10, mean 30.4 days,
p
=
0.0039). Serological response was studied by competitive ELISA (c-ELISA) and agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) tests. The c-ELISA was more sensitive in detecting BT virus antibodies in all animals than the AGID tests. No significant differences were observed between sheep and goats or between breeds. The epidemiological significance of subclinical infection and the extended BT virus viraemias in Lesbos sheep and goats, in relation to the maintenance of the virus and to overwintering is discussed.