Serological Evidence of Bluetongue Virus Serotypes Circulating in Pakistan

Introduction Bluetongue is an arthropod-borne viral disease of ruminants, which is caused by bluetongue virus (BTV) that exists in more than 30 different serotypes. The disease is endemic in Pakistan. However, little is known about circulating BTV serotypes in the country. This study reports the serotypes of BTV in North-Western Pakistan. Methods A total of 758 competitive ELISA positive serum samples was tested using serum neutralization tests against the 28 BTV serotypes (BTV-1 to 27 and BTV-X). The test samples originated from cattle (n = 296), buffalo (n = 80), sheep (n= 136) and goats (n= 246). Results Neutralizing antibodies against one or more of the 28 BTV serotypes were detected in 59.1% of the positive samples. Antibodies against BTV-26 had the highest (56.5%) prevalence, whereas, those against BTV-19 had the lowest (0.9%) prevalence. Species-wise, neutralizing antibodies against all the 28 serotypes of BTV were found in cattle, whereas antibodies against 24, 21 and 19 different serotypes of BTV were detected in goats, sheep and buffalo, respectively. Neutralizing antibodies against 19 different BTV serotypes were detected for the first time in Pakistan. It was also the first time that neutralizing antibodies against atypical serotypes (i.e. BTV-25, BTV-27, and BTV-X) were found in cattle. Conclusion Bluetongue in Pakistan has a complex epidemiology, as evidenced by the detection of antibodies against a large number of BTV serotypes Findings of the current study may be helpful in selecting appropriate vaccines for control of the disease in the country.