[en] Infection with bluetongue virus serotype (BTV)-8 occurred in ruminants in 2006 in Central-Western Europe. The trans-placental passage of this virus has been demonstrated in naturally- and experimentally-infected cattle and in experimentally-infected sheep. Trans-placental transmission is potentially important in the 'over-wintering' of this virus and its subsequent impact on reproductive performance. This epidemiological study was carried out on a sheep flock in Belgium that had experienced a severe outbreak of BTV-8 infection, and where the seroprevalence had increased from 1.3% to 88% between January and November 2007. In total, 476 lambs and 26 aborted fetuses from 300 ewes, lambing at four distinct time periods, were investigated between November 2007 and May 2008. The following evidence suggested that BTV-8 infection occurred in utero: (1) positive PCR results from splenic tissue from aborted fetuses (n=4); (2) fetal malformations suggestive of BTV infection (n=10); (3) positive PCR results from red blood cells in-lambs (n=7), and (4) the presence of antibody at birth in viable lambs prior to the intake of colostrum (n=9). The evidence provided by this investigation strongly suggests that trans-placental BTV-8 infection occurs in naturally-infected sheep and the impact of infection on the reproductive performance of such a naive flock was considerable, with up to 25% of ewes aborting and with flock fertility reduced by 50%. The contribution of in utero-infected lambs to the over-wintering of BTV appears limited.
Disciplines :
Veterinary medicine & animal health
Author, co-author :
Saegerman, Claude ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des maladies infectieuses et parasitaires > Epidémiologie et analyse des risques appl. aux sc. vétér.
Bolkaerts, Benoit
Baricalla, Christine
Raes, Marianne
Wiggers, Laetitia
de Leeuw, Ilse
Vandenbussche, Frank
Zimmer, Jean-Yves ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Sciences agronomiques > Entomologie fonctionnelle et évolutive
Haubruge, Eric ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Services administratifs généraux > Vice-Recteur de Gembloux Agro Bio Tech - Entomologie fonctionnelle et évolutive
Cassart, Dominique ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de morphologie et pathologie > Département de morphologie et pathologie
De Clercq, Kris
Kirschvink, Nathalie
Language :
English
Title :
The impact of naturally-occurring, trans-placental bluetongue virus serotype-8 infection on reproductive performance in sheep.
Publication date :
2011
Journal title :
Veterinary Journal
ISSN :
1090-0233
eISSN :
1532-2971
Publisher :
Elsevier, United Kingdom
Volume :
187
Issue :
1
Pages :
72-80
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Commentary :
Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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