Goats and sheep as sentinels for tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus--epidemiological studies in areas endemic and non-endemic for TBE virus in Germany.
The aim of the study was to examine grazing goats and sheep as specific sentinels for characterization of the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV)-related risk in an area by means of serosurveillance tests in the German federal states Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, Thuringia, North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. A total of 3590 sheep sera and 3793 goat sera was collected in 2003 and 2006-2009 and were examined by ELISA screening and confirmed by serum neutralization test. Considerable differences in seroprevalence were seen between single flocks in districts in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, and Thuringia with values between 0 and 43% which confirmed the patchy pattern of TBEV foci that can range in size from very small to large. The here described serological screening may be a helpful tool for an early warning system of a potential TBEV risk. Testing of 1700 ticks by real-time RT-PCR in two districts in Baden-Wuerttemberg revealed only one positive tick, thus illustrating the problems of expensive and time-consuming tick collection.
Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Jena, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany. christine.klaus@fli.bund.de
Christine
C
Klaus
Martin
M
Beer
Regine
R
Saier
Ute
U
Schau
Udo
U
Moog
Bernd
B
Hoffmann
Roland
R
Diller
Jochen
J
Süss
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D004669:Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004675:Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D013987:Ticks / Q000821:virology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral