Epidemiologic study of bluetongue viruses in Central America and the Caribbean: 1986-1988. Regional Bluetongue Team.
Results of a prospective serologic and virologic study of ruminant livestock in Central America and the Caribbean islands revealed bluetongue virus (BTV) to be enzootic in the 9 countries participating in the study. Bluetongue virus serotypes 1, 3, 6, and 12 were isolated from sentinel animals. To the authors' knowledge, these are the first isolations of BTV from the region studied and the first isolations of these serotypes in the Western Hemisphere. Clinical disease attributable to BTV infection was not observed in sentinel animals. The incidence pattern, with respect to age and geographic location, was determined. The need to evaluate the epizootiologic features or arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) on a regional ecologic basis is stressed.
University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Veterinary Medicine 53706.
E J
EJ
Homan
C L
CL
Mo
L H
LH
Thompson
C H
CH
Barreto
M T
MT
Oviedo
E P
EP
Gibbs
E C
EC
Greiner
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001820:Bluetongue virus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002020:Buffaloes / Q000382:microbiology; D002417:Cattle / Q000382:microbiology*; D002489:Central America / Q000453:epidemiology; D000939:Epitopes; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D012087:Reoviridae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012703:Serotyping / Q000662:veterinary; D012756:Sheep / Q000382:microbiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014900:West Indies / Q000453:epidemiology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000939:Epitopes