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Bluetongue Virus in Lebanon
Author(s) -
El Hage J.,
Lorusso A.,
Carmine I.,
Di Gennaro A.,
Portanti O.,
Olivieri S.,
Casaccia C.,
Pisciella M.,
Teodori L.,
Sghaier S.,
Savini G.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
transboundary and emerging diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.392
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1865-1682
pISSN - 1865-1674
DOI - 10.1111/tbed.12126
Subject(s) - serotype , veterinary medicine , orbivirus , epidemiology , biology , virus , virology , mediterranean basin , mediterranean climate , medicine , reoviridae , rotavirus , ecology
Summary Since 2000, several incursions of bluetongue virus ( BTV ) occurred in the Mediterranean Basin involving E uropean and surrounding Countries. The Middle East represents one of the most important gateways for the access of BTV in E urope. Limited data on the BTV situation in this area are available. In this perspective, an epidemiological survey on the presence of BTV in Lebanon was conducted. Of the 181 serum samples tested, 97 (mean = 53.6%; 95% CI : 46.3–60.7) resulted positive when tested for the presence of BTV antibodies by c‐ ELISA , of these 42 (mean = 42%; 95% CI : 32.8–51.8) serum samples were from sheep and 55 (mean = 67.9%; 95% CI: 57.1–77.1) serum samples were from goats. Fourteen blood samples (14/110; mean = 12.7%; 95% CI : 7.8–20.3), 6 (6/66; mean = 9.1%; 95% CI : 4.4–18.5) from sheep and 8 (8/44; mean = 18.2%; 95% CI : 9.6–32.0) from goats, were positive by qRT ‐ PCR . The results with serum‐neutralization assay and typing performed by RT ‐ PCR confirmed that six BTV serotypes are currently circulating in Lebanon, and these serotypes are as follows: 1, 4, 6, 8, 16 and 24. This study is the first report that confirms the presence and circulation of BTV in L ebanon.