رسائل ماجيستير
English
2022
Seroprevalence and associated risk factors of bluetongue and Schmallenberg viruses in ruminants in Al-Batinah Governorates Oman
Aida Nasser Said Al-Tubiyah , Elshafie Ibrahim Elshafie, Haytham Alieldin Ali, Waleed Al-Marzooq
كلية العلوم الزراعية والبحرية-جامعة السلطان قابوس · عمان
Bluetongue (BTV) and Schmallenberg viruses (SBV) are non-contagious, non-zoonotic, and vector-borne diseases. Both viruses infect domestic and wild ruminants and camelid species and are transmitted mainly via Culicoides spp. Bluetongue virus belongs to the genus Orbivirus, family Reoviridae, whereas Schmallenberg virus belongs to the genus Orthobunyavirus, family Bunyaviridae.
In Oman, only two studies were conducted in 1991, which investigated the seroprevalence and detected different serotypes of BTV. There is no available data about SBV seroprevalence in Oman. This study aims to investigate the seroprevalence and associated potential risk factors of BTV, SBV, and cross-infection in sheep, goats, and cattle in Al-Batinah Governorates, Sultanate of Oman, using ELISA.
A total of 529 serum samples were randomly collected from 207 sheep, 265 goats, and 57 cattle from five wilayats of Al-Batinah North and Al-Batinah South. The serum samples were screened for the presence of BTV-specific antibodies against the BTV VP7 protein using ID Screen® Bluetongue Competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA), and screened for the presence of SBV-specific antibodies against the recombinant SBV nucleoprotein antigen using ID Screen® Schmallenberg virus Indirect Multi-species screening test (iELISA).
The overall seroprevalence of BTV, SBV, and cross-infection were 69.8% (369/529), 44.8% (237/529), and 36.9% (195/529), respectively. In cattle, the prevalence of BTV and SBV antibodies was comparatively higher (94.7% and 82.5%) than in goats (83.0% and 43.0%) and sheep (45.9% and 36.7%), respectively. The highest BTV seroprevalence was recorded in Nakhal (85.5%), followed by Wadi Al-Maawil (81.0%), and the lowest in Barka (59.6%). However, the highest seroprevalence of SBV was observed in Wadi Al-Maawil (50.0%), followed by Barka (48.7%), and the lowest in Sohar (34.2%).
Overall, the seroprevalence of BTV and SBV in domesticated ruminants was higher in adult than in young animals. Females showed a higher seroprevalence of BTV and SBV compared to males. This study provides an update on the epidemiological status of BTV and, to our knowledge, this is the first study on the seroprevalence of SBV in Oman. Future studies are required for the isolation and identification of BTV and SBV along with other potential biological vectors in Oman.