Bluetongue virus detection by two real-time RT-qPCRs targeting two different genomic segments

Impact of a natural bluetongue serotype 8 infection on semen quality of Belgian rams in 2007

In 2006, bluetongue (BT) virus serotype 8 emerged in northern Europe and numerous ruminants were affected in the following year. Infertility in males is one of the consequences of BT, although its severity and duration after natural infection has not been documented. In this report, the impact of BT-8 on clinical signs and semen quality of naturally infected rams is described through a longitudinal study of two Belgian ram populations (n=12 and n=24) and a cross sectional study in a further ram population (n=43). Macroscopic semen characteristics, semen concentration, motility, percentage of living and dead spermatozoa were assessed in 167 semen samples collected on 1-6 occasions from 79 BT-8 infected rams within 5-138 days after onset of clinical disease. These were compared with healthy control animals. Significant changes in all variables were observed after natural BT-8 infection. Total recovery occurred around 85 days after clinical disease in animals undergoing a close follow-up of semen quality. Good correspondence between the results of the longitudinal and cross sectional studies suggests that semen quality of BT-8 affected rams reached normal references values 63-138 days after clinical diagnosis of BT. In addition, semen concentration seems to be a sound epidemiological indicator of ram semen quality.

Vector monitoring at Belgian outbreak sites during the bluetongue epidemic of 2006

In response to the first bluetongue outbreak in Belgium a monitoring programme was started at the end of August 2006 to identify possible vectors transmitting the disease. Black light traps were deployed at 36 outbreak sites and captured 1959 Culicoides specimens belonging to 16 different species. Eighty four percent of the biting midges captured belonged to the C. obsoletus complex, among them C. obsoletus s.s., C. dewulfi and C. scoticus, three suspected bluetongue vectors. The Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre detected viral RNA in pools of individuals belonging to this complex. Culicoides pulicaris, a potential bluetongue vector in Italy, should yet not be excluded as a possible vector in Belgium as this species was frequently found around outbreak sites, notwithstanding this species is not easily captured with the trapping techniques used during this survey.

Effect of pooling and multiplexing on the detection of bluetongue virus RNA by real-time RT-PCR

Real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) was used routinely for laboratory diagnosis during the 2006/2007 bluetongue virus (BTV) serotype 8 epidemic. In the present study the impact of pooling and multiplexing strategies on RT-qPCR are assessed. To avoid any bias in the pooling experiments, 121 BTV-8 positive blood samples with a low to high viral load were selected and pooled individually with nine negative blood samples. Analyses of the individually and pooled samples indicated an overall mean difference of 4.32 Ct-values. The most pronounced differences were observed in samples with the lowest viral load of which 70% could no longer be detected after pooling. The pooling strategy is therefore not suitable for BTV detection at the individual level since animals infected recently may be missed. An alternative approach to reduce costs and workload is to apply a multiplexing strategy in which the viral RNA and internal beta-actin control RNA are detected in a single reaction. Parallel analysis (singleplex versus multiplex) of a 10-fold dilution series and 546 field samples proved that the sensitivity of the BTV RT-qPCR was not affected whereas the beta-actin reaction was reduced only slightly. Without the use of an internal control, 0.6% of 1985 field samples is at risk of being diagnosed incorrectly as negative.

Use of real-time RT-PCR as a rapid molecular approach for differentiation of field and vaccine strains of bluetongue virus serotypes 2 and 9

Since 2000 severe, long-lasting epidemics of bluetongue virus (BTV) have been described in Italy, caused by BTV serotypes 2, 4, 9 and 16. Vaccination programs have been applied extensively to control the infection, in spite of concerns about the potential dissemination of attenuated vaccine strains of BTV in susceptible animals. Accordingly, rapid and reliable differentiation between vaccine and field strains is paramount in routine diagnosis of BTV to evaluate the extent of this phenomenon. In the present study, we report the development of two real-time RT-PCR assays able to recognise BTV serotypes 2 and 9, respectively, and we evaluated the use of the assays for discrimination between field and vaccine strains. A total of 65 samples collected in Italy from 2000 to 2006 and diagnosed as positive for either BTV-2 or -9 were analysed by the TaqMan assays. Both the assays were found to be highly sensitive and reproducible, ensuring correct serotype characterisation and prediction of the origin of the strains, as confirmed by characterisation using virus neutralisation and sequencing.

Evaluation of antibody-ELISA and real-time RT-PCR for the diagnosis and profiling of bluetongue virus serotype 8 during the epidemic in Belgium in 2006

In 2006 bluetongue (BT) emerged for the first time in North-Western Europe. Reliable diagnostic tools are essential in controlling BT but data on the diagnostic sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) are often missing. This paper aims to describe and analyse the results obtained with the diagnostics used in Belgium during the 2006 BT crisis. The diagnosis was based on a combination of antibody detection (competitive ELISA, cELISA) and viral RNA detection by real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR). The performance of the cELISA as a diagnostic tool was assessed on field results obtained during the epidemic and previous surveillance campaigns. As the infectious status of the animals is unknown during an epidemic, a Bayesian analysis was performed. Both assays were found to be equally specific (RT-qPCR: 98.5%; cELISA: 98.2%) while the diagnostic sensitivity of the RT-qPCR (99.5%) was superior to that of the cELISA (87.8%). The assumption of RT-qPCR as standard of comparison during the bluetongue virus (BTV) epidemic proved valid based on the results of the Bayesian analysis. A ROC analysis of the cELISA, using RT-qPCR as standard of comparison, showed that the cut-off point with the highest accuracy occurred at a percentage negativity of 66, which is markedly higher than the cut-off proposed by the manufacturer. The analysis of the results was further extended to serological and molecular profiling and the possible use of profiling as a rapid epidemiological marker of the BTV in-field situation was assessed. A comparison of the serological profiles obtained before, during and at the end of the Belgian epidemic clearly showed the existence of an intermediate zone which appears soon after BTV (re)enters the population. The appearance or disappearance of this intermediate zone is correlated with virus circulation and provides valuable information, which would be entirely overlooked if only positive and negative results were considered.

Recombinant capripoxviruses expressing proteins of bluetongue virus: evaluation of immune responses and protection in small ruminants

The development of recombinant capripoxviruses for protective immunization of ruminants against bluetongue virus (BTV) infection is described. Sheep (n=11) and goats (n=4) were immunized with BTV recombinant capripoxviruses (BTV-Cpox) individually expressing four different genes encoding two capsid proteins (VP2 and VP7) and two non-structural proteins (NS1, NS3) of BTV serotype 2 (BTV-2). Seroconversion was observed against NS3, VP7 and VP2 in both species and a lymphoproliferation specific to BTV antigens was also demonstrated in goats. Finally, partial protection of sheep challenged 3 weeks after BTV-Cpox administration with a virulent strain of BTV-2, was observed.

Bluetongue in Belgium, 2006

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.