Bluetongue （BT） is an infectious, non-contagious arthropod-borne disease that infects all ruminants, including sheep, cattle, deer, goats and camelids. Bluetongue virus （BTV） belonged to Reoviridae is ARN genome o...Bluetongue （BT） is an infectious, non-contagious arthropod-borne disease that infects all ruminants, including sheep, cattle, deer, goats and camelids. Bluetongue virus （BTV） belonged to Reoviridae is ARN genome of 19 Kb. Twenty-six BTV serotypes have long been recognized, to be associated with severe disease in certain breeds of sheep, whereas cattle and goats are usually sub-clinically affected. Before 2004, BT was considered an exotic disease in Morocco, however, the first outbreak was observed in 2004 in sheep. This outbreak was caused by the isolated BTV-4. Two years later a BTV-1 emerged in Morocco. Both serotype 1 and serotype 4 circulated after 2007 across the country. The aims of the present work was to perform a serological study on sheep from different regions in Morocco in order to clarify the current BTV epidemiological situation and its evolution from 2009 to 2012, to determine the co-infection rate, and to confirm the possible circulation of other BTV Serotype mainly the BTV-8. All of 436 sera were tested by serum neutralization using reference strains. Results confirm the presence of BTV-4, BTV-1 and BTV-8. However, the present study report for the first time the emerging BTV-8 circulation in Morocco. Moreover, the founding reveal as well a higher co-infection rate in cattle compared to sheep.展开更多
文摘Bluetongue （BT） is an infectious, non-contagious arthropod-borne disease that infects all ruminants, including sheep, cattle, deer, goats and camelids. Bluetongue virus （BTV） belonged to Reoviridae is ARN genome of 19 Kb. Twenty-six BTV serotypes have long been recognized, to be associated with severe disease in certain breeds of sheep, whereas cattle and goats are usually sub-clinically affected. Before 2004, BT was considered an exotic disease in Morocco, however, the first outbreak was observed in 2004 in sheep. This outbreak was caused by the isolated BTV-4. Two years later a BTV-1 emerged in Morocco. Both serotype 1 and serotype 4 circulated after 2007 across the country. The aims of the present work was to perform a serological study on sheep from different regions in Morocco in order to clarify the current BTV epidemiological situation and its evolution from 2009 to 2012, to determine the co-infection rate, and to confirm the possible circulation of other BTV Serotype mainly the BTV-8. All of 436 sera were tested by serum neutralization using reference strains. Results confirm the presence of BTV-4, BTV-1 and BTV-8. However, the present study report for the first time the emerging BTV-8 circulation in Morocco. Moreover, the founding reveal as well a higher co-infection rate in cattle compared to sheep.
