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De Clercq K, Vandaele L, Vanbinst T, Riou M, Deblauwe I, Wesselingh W, Pinard A, Van Eetvelde M, Boulesteix O, Leemans B, Gélineau R, Vercauteren G, Van der Heyden S, Beckers JF, Saegerman C, Sammin D, de Kruif A, De Leeuw I. Transmission of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 8 by Artificial Insemination with Frozen-Thawed Semen from Naturally Infected Bulls. Viruses 2021; 13:v13040652. [PMID: 33918924 PMCID: PMC8069090 DOI: 10.3390/v13040652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmission of bluetongue (BT) virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) via artificial insemination of contaminated frozen semen from naturally infected bulls was investigated in two independent experiments. Healthy, BT negative heifers were hormonally synchronized and artificially inseminated at oestrus. In total, six groups of three heifers received semen from four batches derived from three bulls naturally infected with BTV-8. Each experiment included one control heifer that was not inseminated and that remained BT negative throughout. BTV viraemia and seroconversion were determined in 8 out of 18 inseminated heifers, and BTV was isolated from five of these animals. These eight heifers only displayed mild clinical signs of BT, if any at all, but six of them experienced pregnancy loss between weeks four and eight of gestation, and five of them became BT PCR and antibody positive. The other two infected heifers gave birth at term to two healthy and BT negative calves. The BT viral load varied among the semen batches used and this had a significant impact on the infection rate, the time of onset of viraemia post artificial insemination, and the gestational stage at which pregnancy loss occurred. These results, which confirm unusual features of BTV-8 infection, should not be extrapolated to infection with other BTV strains without thorough evaluation. This study also adds weight to the hypothesis that the re-emergence of BTV-8 in France in 2015 may be attributable to the use of contaminated bovine semen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris De Clercq
- Unit of Exotic and Particular Diseases, Scientific Directorate Infectious Diseases in Animals, Sciensano, 1180 Brussels, Belgium; (I.D.L.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Leen Vandaele
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; (L.V.); (W.W.); (M.V.E.); (B.L.); (A.d.K.)
| | - Tine Vanbinst
- Unit of Exotic and Particular Diseases, Scientific Directorate Infectious Diseases in Animals, Sciensano, 1180 Brussels, Belgium; (I.D.L.)
| | - Mickaël Riou
- UE-1277 Plateforme d’Infectiologie Expérimentale (PFIE), Centre de Recherche Val de Loire, Institut National de Recherche Pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), 37380 Nouzilly, France; (M.R.); (A.P.); (O.B.); (R.G.)
| | - Isra Deblauwe
- The Unit of Entomology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium;
| | - Wendy Wesselingh
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; (L.V.); (W.W.); (M.V.E.); (B.L.); (A.d.K.)
| | - Anne Pinard
- UE-1277 Plateforme d’Infectiologie Expérimentale (PFIE), Centre de Recherche Val de Loire, Institut National de Recherche Pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), 37380 Nouzilly, France; (M.R.); (A.P.); (O.B.); (R.G.)
| | - Mieke Van Eetvelde
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; (L.V.); (W.W.); (M.V.E.); (B.L.); (A.d.K.)
| | - Olivier Boulesteix
- UE-1277 Plateforme d’Infectiologie Expérimentale (PFIE), Centre de Recherche Val de Loire, Institut National de Recherche Pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), 37380 Nouzilly, France; (M.R.); (A.P.); (O.B.); (R.G.)
| | - Bart Leemans
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; (L.V.); (W.W.); (M.V.E.); (B.L.); (A.d.K.)
| | - Robert Gélineau
- UE-1277 Plateforme d’Infectiologie Expérimentale (PFIE), Centre de Recherche Val de Loire, Institut National de Recherche Pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), 37380 Nouzilly, France; (M.R.); (A.P.); (O.B.); (R.G.)
| | - Griet Vercauteren
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Poultry Diseases, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; (G.V.); (S.V.d.H.)
| | - Sara Van der Heyden
- Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Poultry Diseases, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; (G.V.); (S.V.d.H.)
| | - Jean-François Beckers
- Département des Sciences Fonctionnelles (DSF), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Quartier Vallée 2, 4000 Liège, Belgium;
| | - Claude Saegerman
- Research Unit in Epidemiology and Risk Analysis Applied to Veterinary Sciences (UREAR-ULg), Fundamental and Applied Research for Animal and Health (FARAH) Center, Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, 4130 Liege, Belgium;
| | - Donal Sammin
- Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine Laboratories, Backweston, W23 X3PH Co. Kildare, Ireland;
| | - Aart de Kruif
- Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; (L.V.); (W.W.); (M.V.E.); (B.L.); (A.d.K.)
| | - Ilse De Leeuw
- Unit of Exotic and Particular Diseases, Scientific Directorate Infectious Diseases in Animals, Sciensano, 1180 Brussels, Belgium; (I.D.L.)
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Leemans J, Raes M, Vanbinst T, De Clercq K, Saegerman C, Kirschvink N. Viral RNA load in semen from bluetongue serotype 8-infected rams: Relationship with sperm quality. Vet J 2012; 192:304-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2011.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2010] [Revised: 06/09/2011] [Accepted: 06/17/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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Vanbinst T, Vandenbussche F, Dernelle E, De Clercq K. A duplex real-time RT-PCR for the detection of bluetongue virus in bovine semen. J Virol Methods 2010; 169:162-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2010.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2010] [Revised: 07/19/2010] [Accepted: 07/22/2010] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Vanbinst T, Vandenbussche F, Vandemeulebroucke E, De Leeuw I, Deblauwe I, De Deken G, Madder M, Haubruge E, Losson B, De Clercq K. Bluetongue virus detection by real-time RT-PCR in Culicoides captured during the 2006 epizootic in Belgium and development of an internal control. Transbound Emerg Dis 2009; 56:170-7. [PMID: 19432638 DOI: 10.1111/j.1865-1682.2009.01077.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
After the emergence of bluetongue (BT) in Belgium in 2006, two types of entomological surveys were initiated, the one to identify the local vector species, and the other to study their population dynamics. In the vector study, Culicoides were captured near farms with recently infected cattle or sheep; in the population study Culicoides were captured in two meadows situated in the BT-affected region. A total of 130 pools of parous, non-blood engorged female midges (with a mean of 7.5 midges per pool) were analysed with real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) targeting bluetongue virus (BTV) segment 5. To ensure the RNA integrity of the samples, all pools were also tested in a second RT-qPCR targeting Culicoides 18S rRNA, which served as an internal control. Seventeen pools with negative results for both 18S and BTV were excluded, most of which originated from the population survey. In the vector survey near outbreak sites, female midges of the obsoletus complex, including C. obsoletus, C. scoticus, C. dewulfi and C. chiopterus, dominated the black-light trap collections with 19 of 89 pools being BTV-positive. Moreover, all the collections from the vector survey included at least one positive pool of the obsoletus complex compared with only 20% collections (C. obsoletus/C. scoticus) in the population survey. The current study also revealed the presence of BTV RNA in one of five pools of C. pulicaris females captured near recent BT outbreaks, suggesting that this species might have played a role in transmission. Finally, the use of RT-qPCR for the recognition of new potential BTV vector species and the impact of an appropriate monitoring method and internal control are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Vanbinst
- Department of Virology, Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre, Brussels, Belgium
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De Clercq K, Vandenbussche F, Vandemeulebroucke E, Vanbinst T, De Leeuw I, Verheyden B, Goris N, Mintiens K, Méroc E, Herr C, Hooybergs J, Houdart P, Sustronck B, De Deken R, Maquet G, Bughin J, Saulmont M, Lebrun M, Bertels G, Miry C. Transplacental bluetongue infection in cattle. Vet Rec 2008; 162:564. [PMID: 18441360 DOI: 10.1136/vr.162.17.564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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De Clercq K, De Leeuw I, Verheyden B, Vandemeulebroucke E, Vanbinst T, Herr C, Méroc E, Bertels G, Steurbaut N, Miry C, De Bleecker K, Maquet G, Bughin J, Saulmont M, Lebrun M, Sustronck B, De Deken R, Hooyberghs J, Houdart P, Raemaekers M, Mintiens K, Kerkhofs P, Goris N, Vandenbussche F. Transplacental Infection and Apparently Immunotolerance Induced by a Wild-type Bluetongue Virus Serotype 8 Natural Infection. Transbound Emerg Dis 2008; 55:352-9. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1865-1682.2008.01044.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Méroc E, Faes C, Herr C, Staubach C, Verheyden B, Vanbinst T, Vandenbussche F, Hooyberghs J, Aerts M, De Clercq K, Mintiens K. Establishing the spread of bluetongue virus at the end of the 2006 epidemic in Belgium. Vet Microbiol 2008; 131:133-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2008.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2007] [Revised: 03/14/2008] [Accepted: 03/18/2008] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Linden A, Mousset B, Grégoire F, Hanrez D, Vandenbussche F, Vandemeulebroucke E, Vanbinst T, Verheyden B, de Clerck K. Bluetongue virus antibodies in wild red deer in southern Belgium. Vet Rec 2008; 162:459. [PMID: 18390860 DOI: 10.1136/vr.162.14.459-a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Vandenbussche F, Vanbinst T, Vandemeulebroucke E, Goris N, Sailleau C, Zientara S, De Clercq K. Effect of pooling and multiplexing on the detection of bluetongue virus RNA by real-time RT-PCR. J Virol Methods 2008; 152:13-7. [PMID: 18590769 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2008.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2008] [Revised: 05/25/2008] [Accepted: 06/02/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Vandenbussche
- Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre, Department of Virology, Groeselenberg 99, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium.
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Goris N, Willems T, Diev VI, Merkelbach-Peters P, Vanbinst T, Van der Stede Y, Kraft HP, Zakharov VM, Borisov VV, Nauwynck HJ, Haas B, De Clercq K. Indirect foot-and-mouth disease vaccine potency testing based on a serological alternative. Vaccine 2008; 26:3870-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2008] [Revised: 04/30/2008] [Accepted: 05/07/2008] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Vandenbussche F, Vanbinst T, Verheyden B, Van Dessel W, Demeestere L, Houdart P, Bertels G, Praet N, Berkvens D, Mintiens K, Goris N, De Clercq K. 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. Vet Microbiol 2007; 129:15-27. [PMID: 18093753 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2007.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2007] [Revised: 10/17/2007] [Accepted: 10/19/2007] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Vandenbussche
- Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre, Department of Virology, Groeselenberg 99, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium.
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