Investigation of Bluetongue in Sheep in Western Iran with an Overview of Infection Since 1972

Aim: Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an economically important Orbivirus of the Reoviridae family, causes a haemorrhagic disease mainly in sheep and occasionally in cattle and some species of deer. The aim of this study was to describe the seroprevalence rate of bluetongue virus (BTV) in sheep in Kurdistan province, west of Iran. Also the history and epizootiology of bluetongue (BT) infection in Iran are reviewed.
Study Design: method depends on Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (c-ELISA).
Place and Duration of Study: Departments of Veterinary, Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center and Departments of Animal Virus Disease, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, in west of Iran during 2011-2012.
Methodology: A total of 297 field sera collected from Healthy sheep with no symptoms in western Iran were screened for the present of group-specific BTV antibodies by competitive ELISA (c-ELISA).
Results: The overall BTV antibodies prevalence was 42.42% in sheep (at 95% confidence level). Also a result was showed a significant increase in seroprevalence BT antibodies with classes of age.
Conclusion: This investigation evaluates the present status of BT in western Iran. As well as the outbreak of BT in farm animals in the country was not recorded. A serological survey has indicated the presence of bluetongue virus (BTV) antibodies in sheep, goats, cattle and other farm animals in several states in Iran. However, clinical BT has not been observed in farm animals to date. BTV has not been isolated from Culicoides midges, although virus serotypes 3, 4, 9, 16, 20 and 22 were isolated in Iran.