Abstract
Schmallenberg virus (SBV) is a vector‐borne virus belonging to the genus Orthobunyavirus within the Bunyaviridae family. SBV emerged in Europe in 2011 and was characterized by epidemics of abortions, stillbirths and congenital malformations in domestic ruminants. The first evidence of SBV infection in Slovenia was from an ELISA‐positive sample from a cow collected in August 2012; clinical manifestations of SBV disease in sheep and cattle were observed in 2013, with SBV RNA detected in samples collected from a total of 28 herds. A potential re‐emergence of SBV in Europe is predicted to occur when population‐level immunity declines. SBV is also capable of infecting several wild ruminant species, although clinical disease has not yet been described in these species. Data on SBV‐positive wild ruminants suggest that these species might be possible sources for the re‐emergence of SBV. The aim of this study was to investigate whether SBV was circulating among wild ruminants in Slovenia and whether these species can act as a virus reservoir. A total of 281 blood and spleen samples from wild ruminants, including roe deer, red deer, chamois and European mouflon, were collected during the 2017–2018 hunting season. Serum samples were tested for antibodies against SBV by ELISA; the overall seroprevalence was 18.1%. Seropositive samples were reported from all over the country in examined animal species from 1 to 15 years of age. Spleen samples from the seropositive animals and serum samples from the seronegative animals were tested for the presence of SBV RNA using real‐time RT‐PCR; all the samples tested negative. Based on the results of the seropositive animals, it was demonstrated that SBV was circulating in wild ruminant populations in Slovenia even after the epidemic, as almost half (23/51) of the seropositive animals were 1 or 2 years old.
Highlights
N Europe is predicted to occur when population-level immunity declines
If we consider that Schmallenberg virus (SBV) antibodies can be detected for at least 24 months (Claine, Coupeau, Wiggers, Muylkens, & Kirschvink, 2018; Elbers, Stockhofe-Zurwieden, & van der Poel, 2014) or even up to 6 years (Wernike, Holsteg, Szillat, & Beer, 2018) post-infection in naturally infected cattle, wild ruminants in Slovenia could be exposed to SBV at any time point after the start of epidemic, as the age of RNA in the present study was not detected in the spleen and serum
According to Toplak et al (2015), the highest seroprevalence in domestic ruminants in Slovenia was observed in 2013; (Continues) this is probably the result of exposure of the naive population to Geographical locations of SBV antibody-positive samples of wild ruminants detected by ELISA
Summary
Post-epidemic investigation of Schmallenberg virus in wild ruminants in Slovenia. Urška Kuhar, Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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