Bluetongue virus and epizootic haemorrhagic disease of deer virus serotypes in northern Colombian cattle

Abstract

SUMMARYThere is recent evidence of bluetongue (BT) and epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) virus infection of cattle in the American tropics, including BT group reactive antibody in Colombian cattle. These observations prompted a study to determine serologically the specific BT and EHD virus types present, and time of infection and to collect Culicoides spp. as potential vectors. A prospective study of BT and EHD virus infection was done on two farms in the Colombian department ofAntioquia. Sequential sampling ofyoung cattle indicated acquisition of neutralizing antibody to BT virus serotypes 12, 14 and 17, and EHD virus serotypes 1 and 2. Insect captures showed a high association of Culicoides insignis with infected cattle.

Bluetongue virus in South America, Central America and the Caribbean

“…Homan et al (1985aHoman et al ( ,b,c, 1990Homan et al ( , 1992) detected a seroprevalence of 48.1% in cattle in Costa Rica and a seroprevalence of 51.8% in Córdoba and Antioquia, two departments in the north of Colombia. These authors also detected and reported the presence of serotypes 1, 6, 12, 14 and 17 in Antioquia (Homan et al, 1985c) (Fig. 2 and Table 1).…”

Diagnóstico preliminar de la molestia sanitaria causada por Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) en el departamento de Boyacá, Colombia

“…Se han presentado epidemias en varios países como Grecia, Turquía, Israel, España y Portugal (1). En Colombia, la abundancia de C. insignis se ha asociado con la transmisión del virus de la lengua azul encontrado en ganado bovino en el departamento de Antioquia (11).…”

Epizootic haemorrhagic disease

“…It is assumed, therefore, that the epidemiological features of EHDV infection mirror those of BTV. Thus, although less well documented on a global basis, the distribution of EHDV infection likely is similar to that of BTV and includes tropical and temperate regions throughout the world between latitudes of approximately 40-50°N and 35°S (4,25,31,37,38,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52). It is assumed, but not well proven, that the specific vector species differ throughout the world.…”

“…Since the initial description of EHD in the eastern United States, EHDV infection of wild and domestic ungulates has been identified elsewhere in the Americas (including the Caribbean islands and both Central and South America), Africa, Asia (including Eastern, Central and Southeast Asia), Australia, Indian Ocean islands such as Mauritius and Reunion, and the Middle East (4,14,16,25,30,(37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48)(49)(50)(51)(52)(53)(54)(55). Although infection of domestic livestock is prevalent in many endemic areas, EHDV only rarely causes overt disease in livestock species and apparently only in cattle and not small ruminants (4,23).…”