Wild Ruminants Research Articles

First Molecular Identification of Calicophoron daubneyi (Dinnik, 1962) and Paramphistomum leydeni (Nasmark, 1937) in Wild Ruminants from Romania.

Rumen flukes are geographically widespread trematodes affecting wild and domestic ruminants. The juvenile forms, which are found in the small intestine, are more pathogenic compared to the adults. Severe diarrhoea and weight loss are the major clinical signs, and the disease might be fatal in severely infested individuals. In the last decade, paramphistomosis has been described as an emerging parasitic disease in Europe. This study aimed to identify the rumen fluke species in wild ruminants from western Romania. Fifty-two pre-stomachs obtained from roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) that were hunted on 14 hunting grounds from Timiș and Arad counties were examined for the presence of paramphistomes. Three (9.09%) out of 33 samples were positive in Timiș County, and one (5.26%) out of 19 samples was positive in Arad County. Subsequent PCR testing revealed that three samples were positive for Calicophoron daubneyi and one for Paramphistomum leydeni. The presence of C. daubneyi and P. leydeni in roe deer has not been previously reported in Romania. Two Paramphistomum species-C. daubneyi and P. leydeni-were revealed as the main species of rumen flukes in roe deer from forests in Romania.

"Get the best out of what comes in" - adaptation of the microbiota of chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) to seasonal forage availability in the Bavarian Alps.

As an inhabitant of the Alps, chamois are exposed to significant climatic changes throughout the year and are also strongly confronted with changing forage availability. Besides horizontal and vertical migratory movements as an adaptation, it undergoes physiological transformations and dynamic changes in the ruminal microbiota. The following study used 48 chamois of different ages and genders to investigate to which extent the ingested food plants, the resulting crude nutrients in the rumen (reticulorumen) contents, and the bacterial microbiota in the rumen and their fermentation products were influenced by the changes over the seasons. Very little is known about the microbiota of wild ruminants, and many bacterial taxa could only be determined to certain taxonomic levels in this study. However, adapted microbiota reflects the significant changes in the ingested forage and the resulting crude nutrients. For some taxa, our results indicated potential functional relationships. In addition, 15 genera were identified, representing almost 90% of the relative abundance, forming the central part of the microbial community throughout the year. The successful and flexible adaptation of chamois is reflected in the chamois rumen's nutrient and microbial profile. This is also the first study that analyzes the microbiota of the chamois using rumen samples and considers the microbiota in a seasonal comparison.

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia: A review of the global situation with a special reference to Oman

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is a severe infectious disease caused by Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (Mccp) and infects goats, sheep, and wild ruminants. CCPP is characterized by high morbidity and mortality rates reaching up to (100% and 80%), respectively. The disease affects goat farming around the globe in more than 30 countries, particularly in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. CCPP is manifested in peracute, acute, or chronic forms. The general characteristic clinical signs of the disease are rapid, painful, and labored respiration, dyspnea, nasal discharge, coughing, hyperthermia (41°C), anorexia, emaciation, and abnormal posture. Lesions induced by CCPP are restricted to the pleural cavity in the form of unilateral serofibrinous, pleuropneumonia, accumulation of fluid in the chest cavity, lung congestion, hepatization, formation of adhesion to the pleural coastal, and swollen mediastinal and bronchial lymph nodes. Disease diagnosis encompasses a range of methods, including bacterial culture, isolation, and identification, pathological, serological, and molecular tests. The present review provides an overview of the historical perspective, epidemiological factors, and recommended diagnostic and control strategies for CCPP in Oman.

Species identity and phylogeny of Paramphistomoidea Fischoeder, 1901 occurring in cattle and sheep in North Cameroon.

Paramphistomidae and Gastrothylacidae are parasitic flatworms occurring in wild and domestic ruminants in different parts of the world especially in Asia and Africa. In Central Africa, few studies have been done using molecular techniques to resolve taxonomical groupings and understand the epizootiology of these parasites. In this study, we molecularly characterized two hundred adult flukes collected from the fore stomachs of cattle and sheep in the Adamawa region of the northern Cameroon. PCR and sequencing of the nuclear ITS-2 of the ribosomal DNA gene and a portion of the mitochondrial cox-1 locus revealed the presence of at least nine species belonging to the genera of Cotylophoron, Calicophorn, Orthocoelium and Carmyerius. In Zebu cattle, we identified Ca. microbothrium, Ca. clavula, Ca. phillerouxi, Co. cotylophorum, Co. fuelleborni, O. scoliocoelium, Car. gregarius, Car. graberi and Car. mancupatus and one yet unknown Paramphistomoidea sp, whereas in sheep, only Ca. microbothrium was found. The present study also strongly suggests cross-hybridization between the two Cotylophoron species coexisting in cattle. These results have implications for the diagnosis and control of rumen flukes in the region and point to the need for accurate species identification to understand parasite distribution and population genetics.

In Situ Hybridization (RNAscope) Detection of Bluetongue Virus Serotypes 10 and 17 in Experimentally Co-Infected Culicoides sonorensis.

Bluetongue virus (BTV) is a segmented, double-stranded RNA virus transmitted by Culicoides biting midges. Infection of domestic and wild ruminants with BTV can result in a devastating disease and significant economic losses. As a virus with a segmented genome, reassortment among the BTV serotypes that have co-infected a host may increase genetic diversity, which can alter BTV transmission dynamics and generate epizootic events. The objective of this study was to determine the extent of dissemination and characterize the tropism of BTV serotypes 10 and 17 in co-infected Culicoides sonorensis. Midges were exposed to both BTV serotypes via blood meal and processed for histologic slides 10 days after infection. An in situ hybridization approach was employed using the RNAscope platform to detect the nucleic acid segment 2 of both serotypes. Observations of the mosaic patterns in which serotypes did not often overlap suggest that co-infection at the cellular level may not be abundant with these two serotypes in C. sonorensis. This could be a consequence of superinfection exclusion. Understanding BTV co-infection and its biological consequences will add an important dimension to the modeling of viral evolution and emergence.

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL MONITORING THE PESTE DES PETITS RUMINANTS IN THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious viral disease of sheep and goats, as well as wild small ruminants, occurring mainly in acute or subacute clinical forms. PPR causes great economic damage to the small-scale sheep and goat farming and as the whole states. The article presents epidemiological monitoring and analysis of preventive measures carried out in Kazakhstan against PPR. The country’s territory is conditionallydivided into two safe zones (territories with and without vaccination). Specific PPR prevention is carried out in a safe zone with vaccination (buffer zone), which includes five regions and a city of republican significance (Almaty, Zhambyl, Zhetysu, Kyzylorda, Turkestan regions and Shymkent). In 2018-2022 from 3225570 to 6733974 sheep and goats were vaccinated in buffer zones annually. At the same time, vaccination coverage from thetotal number of susceptible animals was 15.2-36.8%.Planned monitoring diagnostic studies have confirmed the epidemiological well-being of the country in terms of PPR. Over the past 5 years, 86,830 serological and 482 molecular genetic studies have been conducted, with negative results in all cases. Serological monitoring of «risk zones of possible infection» for the presence of antibodies to the PPR virus in susceptible pets also confirmed the absence of infection in the studied territories.

Culicoides species responsible for the transmission of Epizootic Haemorrhagic Disease virus (EHDV) serotype 8 in Italy.

Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) is a viral disease transmitted by Culicoides biting midges that affects wild and domestic ruminants. The causative agent, EHD virus (EHDV), belongs to the family Sedoreoviridae, genus Orbivirus. The virus has never been reported in Europe until October 2022, when the virus was for the first time detected in Sicily and Sardinia. After the first clinical cases, an intensive entomological field activity was carried out in five EHD affected farms located in Sardinia, with the aim of assessing the EHDV vector competence in European species of Culicoides. EHDV‑8 was detected in C. imicola, C. obsoletus/scoticus, C. newsteadi, C. pulicaris ss, and C. bysta. The first 4 species have also been demonstrated to be able to transmit bluetongue virus (BTV). According to these results, it is likely that EHDV‑8, sharing the same transmission patterns of BTV, can also spread to Europe.

Diversity of Anaplasma and novel Bartonella species in Lipoptena fortisetosa collected from captive Eld's deer in Thailand.

Lipoptena insects are important ectoparasites of cervids and may affect humans that are incidentally bitten. The presence of zoonotic pathogen DNA, such as Anaplasma, and Bartonella, raises the importance of Lipoptena insects in veterinary and human medicine. Eld's deer (Rucervus eldii thamin), an endangered wild ruminant in Thailand, are bred and raised in the open zoo. The semi-wild zoo environment suggests ectoparasite infestation and potential risk for mechanical transmission of pathogens to visitors, zoo workers, or other animals. However, epidemiology knowledge of pathogens related to endangered wild ruminants in Thailand is limited. This study aims to determine the prevalence and diversity of Anaplasma and Bartonella in the L. fortisetosa collected from captive Eld's deer in Chon Buri, Thailand. Of the 91 Lipoptena DNA samples obtained, 42 (46.15%) and 25 (27.47%) were positive for Anaplasma and Bartonella by molecular detection, respectively. Further, 42 sequences of Anaplasma (4 nucleotide sequence types) showed 100% identity to those detected in other ruminants and blood-sucking ectoparasites. Twenty-five sequences of Bartonella (8 nucleotide sequence types) showed 97.35-99.11% identity to the novel Bartonella species from sika deer and keds in Japan. Phylogenetic trees revealed Anaplasma sequences were grouped with the clusters of A. bovis and other ruminant-related Anaplasma, while Bartonella sequences were clustered with the novel Bartonella species lineages C, D, and E, which originated from Japan. Interestingly, a new independent lineage of novel Bartonella species was found in obtained specimens. We report the first molecular detection of Anaplasma and Bartonella on L. fortisetosa, which could represent infectious status of captive Eld's deer in the zoo. Wild animals act as reservoirs for many pathogens, thus preventive measures in surrounding areas should be considered to prevent pathogen infection among animals or potential zoonotic infection among humans.

HISTOPATHOLOGICAL AND HORMONAL ASSESSMENT OF CONTAGIOUS ECHTHYMA DISEASE IN LAMB RAMS

Contagious echthyma disease (Orf) is one of the most important, highly infectious and contagious skin viral disease that affects sheep, goats, and wild ruminants, and it is transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals. The current research designed to assisted the histopathological lesions of (Orf) on lamb rams genetalia (testes and epididymis ) although hormonal evaluation ( testestrone ). (PCR) technique used to diagnose the ORF virus taken from clinically infected ram's skin lesion , evaluation of testosterone hormone and histopathological changes of infected ram testes and epididymis ( n=20) in alshomaly province , Babil governorate, Iraq. Results of the clinical examination revealed typical lesions of the disease that started in the form of redness, papules, blisters and crusts in the lips, mouth and scrotum . The results of the molecular diagnosis revealed that the suspected sheep were infected by detecting part of the ORFV037 gene, which has a size of (173) base pair was close to MG712417.1 from China, testosterone hormone assessment revealed sharp decline with significant difference(<.0001) in infected rams compared with non-infected group. Histopathological examination shows presence of interstitial tissue edema and hemorrhage , necrosis and desquamation of epithelial layer in seminiferous tubules with filling the lumen with cellular debris too absent of spermatogenesis and severe vaculation epithelial layer of seminiferous tubules. The histopathological pictures of epididymis in infected lamb rams shows empty of epididymis tubules lumen with interstitial tissue fibrosis , and desquamations of epithelium lining.

Utilisation of Actiphage in combination with IS900 qPCR as a diagnostic tool for rapid determination of paratuberculosis infection status in small ruminant herds.

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the causative agent of paratuberculosis, a chronic infectious intestinal disease occurring in domestic and wild ruminants. Early diagnosis of infected herds enabling timely adoption of control measures is tremendously important in view of the fact that the disease has a significant economic impact on farmers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of rapid detection of viable MAP on small ruminant farms based on environmental sample examination using a novel phage-based test named Actiphage. A total of 9 fresh and 28 frozen (8 or 11 years at -70°C) environmental samples originating from paratuberculosis-affected farms were analysed for the presence of MAP by four different diagnostic methods: Actiphage combined with real-time PCR targeting insertion sequence 900 (IS900 qPCR), conventional phage amplification assay, culture (frozen samples only), and direct ĪS900 qPCR. Viable MAP was detected in one fresh environmental sample using Actiphage-IS900 qPCR. None of the frozen samples tested positive using this diagnostic approach, which was consistent with the results of culture examination also providing information on viability. This study describes other possible and innovative uses of phage-based methods in paratuberculosis control strategies. The Actiphage-qPCR was found to be less laborious than culture and provided results within six hours, suggesting that it may be a valuable tool for rapid initial determination of the infectious status of farmed animals based on environmental sample examination.

Topical, contact, and oral susceptibility of adult Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) to fluralaner

BackgroundCulicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are economically important blood-feeding pests closely associated with livestock production. They are the principal vectors of two hemorrhagic disease viruses affecting both wild and domestic ruminants within the US: bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV). BTV impacts the US agriculture sector through direct commodity loss and strict international livestock trade restrictions. Yet, despite posing a considerable threat to US livestock, Culicoides are understudied, and management strategies are lacking. Current control tools for Culicoides are limited to synthetic chemicals, predominantly pyrethroids. With limited products available for livestock producers, proper pesticide rotation is difficult. The present study investigates the efficacy of fluralaner, an isoxazoline insecticide, beyond its current labeled use as an ectoparasiticide in anticipation of adding a new class of pesticides into rotation for use against biting midges.MethodsThe efficacy of fluralaner was evaluated by conducting contact, topical, and oral toxicity bioassays on adult female Culicoides sonorensis. Contact toxicity was assessed by using a modified WHO cone assay, which simulates exposure through landing on an insecticide-treated surface. A modified WHO topical toxicity assay, in which fluralaner dilutions were administered to the lateral thorax, was used to assess topical toxicity. For evaluation of oral toxicity, females were offered a blood meal spiked with fluralaner in an artificial membrane feeding system to simulate a systemic insecticide.ResultsContact exposure of fluralaner did not cause extensive or consistent mortality. Even the highest concentration tested (100 mg/ml) resulted in an average of only 24.3% mortality at 24 h, and mortality did not significantly differ between exposed and control midges at any concentration. One hundred percent mortality was consistently achieved at concentrations of 1 mg/ml when fluralaner was applied topically. The LC50 for topical exposure to fluralaner at 24 h was estimated to be 0.011 mg/ml. Oral exposure to fluralaner through ingestion of a spiked blood meal proved to be the most effective exposure method, significantly increasing mortality in a dose-dependent manner at 1 h post-exposure. The LC50 at 24 h following ingestion was 14.42 ng/ml.ConclusionOur results suggest that fluralaner is a viable candidate for use as an insecticide against adult biting midges if exposed orally, such as in a systemic given to livestock. As withdrawal period requirements for meat animals present unique yet definitive challenges, pharmacokinetic studies of isoxazoline drugs need to be pursued and finalized for livestock before fluralaner may be used as a management strategy in this manner. Alternatively, livestock not raised for consumption, such as hair sheep, would directly benefit from administering oral fluralaner as a component of a BTV disease management program.Graphical abstract

Evaluation of a Lateral Flow Immunochromatography Assay (LFIA) for Diagnosis and Surveillance of Brucellosis in French Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex).

France has been officially free of bovine brucellosis since 2005. Nevertheless, in 2012, as the source of two human cases, a bovine outbreak due to B. melitensis biovar 3 was confirmed in the French Alpine Bargy massif, due to a spillover from wild, protected Alpine ibex (Capra ibex). In order to reduce high Brucella prevalence in the local ibex population, successive management strategies have been implemented. Lateral flow immunochromatography assay (LFIA) was thus identified as a promising on-site screening test, allowing for a rapid diagnosis far from the laboratory. This study compared a commercial LFIA for brucellosis diagnosis with the WOAH-recommended tests for small ruminants (i.e., Rose Bengal test (RBT), Complement fixation test, (CFT) and Indirect ELISA, (iELISA)). LFIA showed the same analytical sensitivity as iELISA on successive dilutions of the International Standard anti-Brucella melitensis Serum (ISaBmS) and the EU Goat Brucella Standard Serum (EUGBSS). Selectivity was estimated at 100% when vaccinated ibex sera were analyzed. When used on samples from naturally infected ibex, LFIA showed high concordance, as well as relative sensitivity and specificity (>97.25%) in comparison with RBT and CFT. This work shows high reliability and ensures a better standardization of LFIA testing for wild ruminants.

Characterization of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Serotype 8 in Naturally Infected Barbary Deer (Cervus elaphus barbarus) and Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Tunisia.

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is a Culicoides-borne disease of domestic and wild ruminants caused by EHD virus (EHDV). This virus circulates in multiple serotypes. In late September 2021, a novel strain belonging to EHDV-8 was reported in cattle farms in Central-Western Tunisia, and in the fall of 2022, the same virus was also detected in Italy and Spain. In the present study, we described EHDV-8 occurrence in deer and, a preliminary identification of the potential Culicoides species responsible for virus transmission in selected areas of Tunisia. EHDV-8 was identified in deer carcasses found in 2021 and 2022 in the national reserve of El Feidja, Jendouba, Northwestern Tunisia, and isolated on cell culture. Instead, insect vectors were collected in October 2021 only in the areas surrounding the city of Tozeur (Southern Tunisia) where EHDV-8 cases in cattle were confirmed. Morphological identification showed that 95% of them belonged to the Culicoides kingi and Culicoides oxystoma species and both species tested positive for EHDV-8 RNA. C. imicola was not detected in this collection and EHDV-8 RNA was not evidenced in vector pools collected in 2020, prior to official EHDV-8 emergence. EHDV whole genome sequences were also obtained directly from infected biological samples of deer and positive vectors. EHDV-8 sequences obtained from deer and vectors share a nucleotide identity ranging from 99.42 to 100% and amino acid identity from 99.18 to 100% across all genome segments with the EHDV-8/17 TUN2021 reference sequence.

OVERVIEW OF BLUETONGUE OUTBREAKS IN EUROPE AND DISEASE CONTROL IN BULGARIA IN THE PERIOD 2011-2021

Bluetongue (BT) is an acute, viral, vector-borne, non-contagious disease of ruminants caused by Bluetonguevirus (BTV). Twenty-six different serotypes have been identified, and the ability of each strain to cause disease varies widely. BTV can infect a wide range of domestic and wild ruminants - sheep, goats, cattle, buffalo, deer, most species of African antelope and camels. For the study period (2011-2021), outbreaks were declared in 21 member states in Europe with predominant serotypes 1, 4 and 8. Based on data from Animal Disease Information System (ADIS) with the present paper we analyzed the distribution of the BTV serotypes within the affected countries and found that particular serotypes tend to spread to particular countries. The development of regulatory measures for prevention, surveillance and eradication of BT is discussed based on the European legislation.

Peste Des Petits Ruminants Screening and Diagnostic Tests in African Wildlife in the Context of Rinderpest Eradication (1994–2007)

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) virus causes a major disease in domestic and wild small ruminants. Understanding the role of wildlife in PPR virus ecology is important for PPR control and its eradication targeted worldwide in 2030. Developing diagnostic tools that provide reliable data for PPR detection in wildlife will help monitor wild populations for PPR and support the eradication program. We analyze a continental-scale dataset from African free-ranging wild ungulates (n = 2570) collected between 1994 and 2007. A Bayesian model estimated the performance of ELISA tests against PPR and rinderpest and their prevalence in African buffalo. The H- and N-ELISA tests used, not initially developed for wildlife, showed poor sensitivities for the detection of PPR antibodies in African buffalo. The estimations of PPR antibody prevalence derived from the results of these tests for animals presumably not exposed or potentially exposed to PPR were uncertain. Thus, poor performances of these PPR serological tests in wildlife would not allow robust estimations of PPR antibody prevalence in African buffalo and would be extremely speculative in non-buffalo wild ungulate species. We recommend that current and new tests be validated for wildlife hosts to provide sufficient sensitivity and specificity of detection and a diagnostic protocol be developed for PPR wildlife research.

Anthelmintic Treatment and the Stability of Parasite Distribution in Ruminants.

Parasites are generally overdispersed among their hosts, with far-reaching implications for their population dynamics and control. The factors determining parasite overdispersion have long been debated. In particular, stochastic parasite acquisition and individual host variation in density-dependent regulation through acquired host immunity have been identified as key factors, but their relative roles and possible interactions have seen little empirical exploration in parasite populations. Here, Taylor's power law is applied to test the hypothesis that periodic parasite removal destabilises the host-parasite relationship and increases variance in parasite burden around the mean. The slope of the power relationship was compared by analysis of covariance among 325 nematode populations in wild and domestic ruminants, exploiting that domestic ruminants are often routinely treated against parasite infections. In Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus axei in domestic livestock, the slope increased with the frequency of anthelmintic treatment, supporting this hypothesis. In Nematodirus spp., against which acquired immunity is known to be strong, the slope was significantly greater in post-mortem worm burden data than in faecal egg counts, while this relationship did not hold for the less immunogenic genus Marshallagia. Considered together, these findings suggest that immunity acting through an exposure-dependent reduction in parasite fecundity stabilises variance in faecal egg counts, reducing overdispersion, and that periodic anthelmintic treatment interferes with this process and increases overdispersion. The results have implications for the diagnosis and control of parasitic infections in domestic animals, which are complicated by overdispersion, and for our understanding of parasite distribution in free-living wildlife. Parasite-host systems, in which treatment and immunity effectively mimic metapopulation processes of patch extinction and density dependence, could also yield general insights into the spatio-temporal stability of animal distributions.

Molecular pathogen screening of louse flies (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) from domestic and wild ruminants in Austria

BackgroundHippoboscid flies (Diptera: Hippoboscidae), also known as louse flies or keds, are obligate blood-sucking ectoparasites of animals, and accidentally of humans. The potential role of hippoboscids as vectors of human and veterinary pathogens is being increasingly investigated, but the presence and distribution of infectious agents in louse flies is still unknown in parts of Europe. Here, we report the use of molecular genetics to detect and characterize vector-borne pathogens in hippoboscid flies infesting domestic and wild animals in Austria.MethodsLouse flies were collected from naturally infested cattle (n = 25), sheep (n = 3), and red deer (n = 12) across Austria between 2015 and 2019. Individual insects were morphologically identified to species level and subjected to DNA extraction for molecular pathogen screening and barcoding. Genomic DNA from each louse fly was screened for Borrelia spp., Bartonella spp., Trypanosomatida, Anaplasmataceae, Filarioidea and Piroplasmida. Obtained sequences of Trypanosomatida and Bartonella spp. were further characterized by phylogenetic and haplotype networking analyses.ResultsA total of 282 hippoboscid flies corresponding to three species were identified: Hippobosca equina (n = 62) collected from cattle, Melophagus ovinus (n = 100) from sheep and Lipoptena cervi (n = 120) from red deer (Cervus elaphus). Molecular screening revealed pathogen DNA in 54.3% of hippoboscids, including infections with single (63.39%), two (30.71%) and up to three (5.90%) distinct pathogens in the same individual. Bartonella DNA was detected in 36.9% of the louse flies. Lipoptena cervi were infected with 10 distinct and previously unreported Bartonella sp. haplotypes, some closely associated with strains of zoonotic potential. DNA of trypanosomatids was identified in 34% of hippoboscids, including the first description of Trypanosoma sp. in H. equina. Anaplasmataceae DNA (Wolbachia spp.) was detected only in M. ovinus (16%), while < 1% of the louse flies were positive for Borrelia spp. and Filarioidea. All hippoboscids were negative for Piroplasmida.ConclusionsMolecular genetic screening confirmed the presence of several pathogens in hippoboscids infesting domestic and wild ruminants in Austria, including novel pathogen haplotypes of zoonotic potential (e.g. Bartonella spp.) and the first report of Trypanosoma sp. in H. equina, suggesting a potential role of this louse fly as vector of animal trypanosomatids. Experimental transmission studies and expanded monitoring of hippoboscid flies and hippoboscid-associated pathogens are warranted to clarify the competence of these ectoparasites as vectors of infectious agents in a One-Health context.Graphical

Lentivirus malih preživača

Small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) is a group of viruses of the Retroviridae family, shared between caprine, ovine and wild ruminants. It is responsible for a systemic infection that can affect the lungs, central nervous system, mammary gland and joints, causing chronic, insidious, and progressive diseases, seriously affecting animal health. Concurrently, it is associated with a decrease in milk production, leading to malnutrition of lambs and goat kids and to the premature slaughter of adult animals, causing substantial economic losses. This review aims to gather the latest information regarding lentivirusin small ruminants in the clinical practice, their economic importance, and diagnostic and prevention methods. Diagnosis is based on clinical, analytical, and post-mortem findings. The feasibility of imaging diagnosis is also highlighted. Preventive measures and management interventions, including the culling or segregation of positive animals, are effective options to control or even eradicate this disease. SRLV prevention strategies must be applied continuously to progressively eradicate infection.

Seroprevalence of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus in Guangdong Cattle Farms during 2013-2017, China.

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is an infectious viral disease caused by epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) and EHDV frequently circulates in wild and domestic ruminants. Sporadic outbreaks of EHD have caused thousands of deaths and stillbirths on cattle farms. However, not much is known about the circulating status of EHDV in Guangdong, southern China. To estimate the seroprevalence of EHDV in Guangdong province, 2886 cattle serum samples were collected from 2013 to 2017 and tested for antibodies against EHDV using a competitive ELISA. The overall seroprevalence of EHDV reached 57.87% and was highest in autumn (75.34%). A subset of positive samples were serotyped by a serum neutralization test, showing that EHDV serotypes 1 and 5-8 were circulating in Guangdong. In addition, EHDV prevalence always peaked in autumn, while eastern Guangdong had the highest EHDV seropositivity over the five-year period, displaying apparent temporal-spatial distribution of EHDV prevalence. A binary logistic model analysis indicated a significant association between cattle with BTV infections and seroprevalence of EHDV (OR = 1.70, p < 0.001). The co-infection of different serotypes of EHDV and BTV raises a high risk of potential genomic reassortment and is likely to pose a significant threat to cattle, thus urging more surveillance to monitor their circulating dynamics in China.

Circulation of Bluetongue Virus Serotypes 1, 4, 8, 10 and 16 and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease Virus in the Sultanate of Oman in 2020-2021.

The circulation of Bluetongue (BT) and Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in the Middle East has already been reported following serological analyses carried out since the 1980s, mostly on wild ruminants. Thus, an EHD virus (EHDV) strain was isolated in Bahrain in 1983 (serotype 6), and more recently, BT virus (BTV) serotypes 1, 4, 8 and 16 have been isolated in Oman. To our knowledge, no genomic sequence of these different BTV strains have been published. These same BTV or EHDV serotypes have circulated and, for some of them, are still circulating in the Mediterranean basin and/or in Europe. In this study, we used samples from domestic ruminant herds collected in Oman in 2020 and 2021 for suspected foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) to investigate the presence of BTV and EHDV in these herds. Sera and whole blood from goats, sheep and cattle were tested for the presence of viral genomes (by PCR) and antibodies (by ELISA). We were able to confirm the presence of 5 BTV serotypes (1, 4, 8, 10 and 16) and the circulation of EHDV in this territory in 2020 and 2021. The isolation of a BTV-8 strain allowed us to sequence its entire genome and to compare it with another BTV-8 strain isolated in Mayotte and with homologous BTV sequences available on GenBank.