title: Using shared needles for subcutaneous inoculation can transmit bluetongue virus mechanically between ruminant hosts.
abstract: Bluetongue virus (BTV) is an economically important arbovirus of ruminants that is transmitted by Culicoides spp. biting midges. BTV infection of ruminants results in a high viraemia, suggesting that repeated sharing of needles between animals could result in its iatrogenic transmission. Studies defining the risk of iatrogenic transmission of blood-borne pathogens by less invasive routes, such as subcutaneous or intradermal inoculations are rare, even though the sharing of needles is common practice for these inoculation routes in the veterinary sector. Here we demonstrate that BTV can be transmitted by needle sharing during subcutaneous inoculation, despite the absence of visible blood contamination of the needles. The incubation period, measured from sharing of needles, to detection of BTV in the recipient sheep or cattle, was substantially longer than has previously been reported after experimental infection of ruminants by either direct inoculation of virus, or through blood feeding by infected Culicoides. Although such mechanical transmission is most likely rare under field condition, these results are likely to influence future advice given in relation to sharing needles during veterinary vaccination campaigns and will also be of interest for the public health sector considering the risk of pathogen transmission during subcutaneous inoculations with re-used needles.
authors: The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom.|School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom.
authors: Karin E
authors: KE
authors: Darpel
authors: The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom.
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Barber
authors: The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom.|Vector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Hope
authors: The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom.
authors: Anthony J
authors: AJ
authors: Wilson
authors: The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom.
authors: Simon
authors: S
authors: Gubbins
authors: The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom.
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Henstock
authors: The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom.
authors: Lorraine
authors: L
authors: Frost
authors: The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom.
authors: Carrie
authors: C
authors: Batten
authors: The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom.|Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Veronesi
authors: The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom.
authors: Katy
authors: K
authors: Moffat
authors: The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom.
authors: Simon
authors: S
authors: Carpenter
authors: The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom.|School of Veterinary Medicine, University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago.
authors: Chris
authors: C
authors: Oura
authors: The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom.
authors: Philip S
authors: PS
authors: Mellor
authors: The Pirbright Institute, Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom.
authors: Peter P C
authors: PP
authors: Mertens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001819:Bluetongue / Q000635:transmission*; D001820:Bluetongue virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002417:Cattle; D007118:Immunoassay; D055104:Infusions, Subcutaneous; D007271:Injections, Intradermal; D009339:Needles; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral