Abstract
BackgroundTick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEv) is a flavivirus that circulates in a complex cycle involving small mammals as amplifying hosts and ticks as vectors and reservoirs. The current study aimed to investigate the presence of TBEv in Tunisian sheep. A sample of 263 adult sheep were selected from 6 localities where Ixodes ricinus is well established. Sera were screened using ELISA for TBEv IgG detection, then the doubtful and positive sera were tested by the seroneutralisation test (SNT) and screened for West Nile Virus (WNv) IgG for cross-reaction assessment.ResultsThe ELISA for TBEv IgG detected one positive serum and 17 borderlines. The SNT showed one positive serum among the 18 tested, giving an overall antibody prevalence of 0.38% (95% CI = 0.07–2.12%). All but one serum tested negative to WNv ELISA. None of the sheep farmers reported neurological signs among sheep or humans in their households.ConclusionsThe results may indicate the circulation of TBEv for the first time in Tunisia and in North Africa. Further studies based on either virus isolation or RNA detection, are needed to confirm the presence of TBEv in North Africa.
Highlights
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEv) is a flavivirus that circulates in a complex cycle involving small mammals as amplifying hosts and ticks as vectors and reservoirs
Despite the low estimated seroprevalence (0.38%), the detection of TBEv antibodies in adult sheep, in the wellestablished area of I. ricinus in Tunisia, might indicate that TBEv is present in North Africa
As the seropositive sheep was born in Tunisia, we can state that a possible new TBEv focus was detected for the first time in Tunisia
Summary
Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEv) is a flavivirus that circulates in a complex cycle involving small mammals as amplifying hosts and ticks as vectors and reservoirs. In 2016, a marked increase of TBE cases in France was reported compared to the three previous years and the Khamassi Khbou et al BMC Veterinary Research (2020) 16:441 number of cases reached 29 [7], while the first human case was reported in The Netherlands [8]. The epidemiological pattern of TBEv is complex; it involves ticks and a wide variety of small mammals as their hosts [5]. Ixodes (I.) ricinus is the principal tick vector of TBEv in Europe and the prevalence of viral RNA in questing ticks, exceeds rarely 1% even in areas with high TBE human incidence [11]
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