Bluetongue has emerged recently in Belgium. A bluetongue virus strain was isolated and characterized as serotype 8. Two new real-time reverse transcription–quantitative PCRs (RT-qPCRs) that amplified 2 different segments of bluetongue virus detected this exotic strain. These 2 RT-qPCRs detected infection earlier than a competitive ELISA for antibody detection. Bluetongue is a noncontagious disease caused by an orbivirus of the family Reoviridae. The bluetongue virus (BTV) serogroup consists of 24 serotypes. BTV is transmitted by arthropods of the genus Culicoides and its distribution worldwide is restricted to regions that contain competent vectors. An outbreak of bluetongue was reported and confirmed in the Netherlands on August 17, 2006. Belgium reported its first cases of bluetongue 1 day later, and Germany and France reported outbreaks on August 21, 2006, and August 31, 2006, respectively. We report detection and characterization of a BTV strain and an overview of laboratory test results 4 weeks after the onset of the outbreak.
Twenty-one animals (16 cattle and 5 sheep) showing clinical signs suggestive of bluetongue were sampled by the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain on August 18, 2006, at 11 farms in northeastern Belgium. Two serologic tests that detect antibodies against the major serogroup antigen VP7 (bluetongue virus antibody competitive ELISA [cELISA]; Veterinary Medical Research and Development Inc., Pullman, WA, USA and competitive vp7 bluetongue kit; IDVET, Montpellier, France) identified 21 virus-positive animals. Two newly developed and validated reverse transcription–quantitative PCRs (RT-qPCRs) that detected BTV strains representing the 24 serotypes were then conducted to determine whether these seropositive animals also had viral RNA. The first assay (RT-qPCR_S1), which amplified a 357-nt fragment in segment 1, detected virus in erythrocytes of the 21 seropositive animals (mean cycle threshold [Ct] value 29.0). The second assay (RT-qPCR_S5), which amplified a 94-nt fragment in segment 5, detected virus in the same 21 seropositive animals (mean Ct value 26.5). The 2 serologic tests and the 2 molecular assays detected BTV in 21 animals from 11 Belgian farms within 14 hours.
Emerging Infectious Diseases
April 17, 2007
Original web page at Emerging Infectious Diseases