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Archive Number 20090706.2422
Published Date 06-JUL-2009
Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Bluetongue, bovine - Israel (03): BTV-24

BLUETONGUE, BOVINE - ISRAEL (03): BTV-24
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Date: Mon 6 Jul 2009
From: Hagai Yadin
<hagaiy@moag.gov.il>


Re: BLUETONGUE, BOVINE - ISRAEL: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
--------------------------------------------------------
In response to your RFI of Sun 5 Jul 2009, we have cleared the issue  
with the OIE reference laboratory for bluetongue at the Institute for  
Animal Health, Pirbright, UK.

A total of 6 blood samples from clinically suspected cows in the dairy  
cattle operation in Kalya (north of the Dead Sea), and one blood  
sample from a suspected cow in Almog (4 km, or 2.5 miles, north of  
Kalya), all PCR-positive for bluetongue in our laboratory, were sent  
by us for serotyping to Pirbright on 12 Jun 2009. The samples were  
received there on 15 Jun 2009. All 7 samples were serotyped by the  
reference laboratory as BTV-24. Their detailed reply, sent by fax on  
23 Jun 2009, has not reached us for technical reasons.

We are grateful to the Pirbright laboratory staff for their speedy and  
efficient handling of the matter.

--
Hagai Yadin, DVM
Head, Virology Division
Kimron Veterinary Institute
Beit-Dagan 50250
Israel
<hagaiy@moag.gov.il>

[According to clinical data from the practitioner attending both dairy  
cattle farms in Kalya and Almog, the clinical signs were rather mild,  
the most prominent ones being fever (up to 41 C -- 105.8 F), ocular,  
nasal and buccal involvement and reduction of the milk yield for 2-3  
days. About 20-25 milking cows (out of 292) and fewer than 10 young  
stock (out of 240) presented [symptoms]. In neighbouring Almog, only  
one clinical case, in a post-parturition cow, was seen (and sampled).  
We are grateful to Dr Nadav Galon, chief veterinarian, Hachaklait, for  
providing the above information (For Hachaklait web-site see
<http://www.hachaklait.org.il/english.asp>).

Both farms are situated within the southern part of the Jordan valley,  
just north of the Dead Sea -- which is, in fact, a part of the Great  
Rift Valley, which extends from Lebanon in the north to Mozambique in  
the south. Interestingly, an extremely severe BTV-24 outbreak was  
reported in a more southern part of the Great Rift Valley, the Arava  
Valley, namely in En (Ein) Hatzeva, 120 km, or 74.5 miles, south of  
Kalya, in March 2009, causing an 80 percent case fatality rate in  
sheep (for details, see ProMED post  20090621.2276).

Almog and Kalya, north-west of the Dead Sea, can be found in square 9  
of the interactive map at
<http://www.eyeonisrael.com/Israel-touring-map.html>. En (Ein) Hatzeva  
can be found in the north-east part of square 17 in the same  
interactive map.

The very 1st identification of BTV-24 in Israel took place in the fall  
of 2008. According to Israel's notification to the OIE, 6 outbreaks  
were diagnosed, of which 5 affected sheep and one affected cattle.  
See, with map, at
<http://www.oie.int/wahis/public.php?page=single_report&pop=1&reportid=7737>.

This means that 3 orbiviruses which affect cattle have been identified  
in Israel since 2006: EHD (serotype 7), in late summer/fall of 2006;  
BTV-8 in November 2008; and BTV-24, in November 2008 (see  
20090130.0412) and again in March-April 2009. BTV-8 and BTV-24 are  
also serious sheep pathogens, with BTV-24 demonstrating, at least in  
one case, exceptionally high pathogenicity in susceptible sheep. The  
pathogenicity of BTV-8 in cattle, though reported from a single herd,  
seems more serious than BTV-24.

The Jordan and Arava valleys (part of the Great Rift Valley) are  
shared with the Kingdom of Jordan. It would be interesting to obtain  
information on the disease situation there. - Mod.AS]

[see also:
Bluetongue, bovine - Israel (02): RFI  20090705.2418
Bluetongue - Middle East: Israel BTV-8; Oman BTV-1,8  20090702.2384
Bluetongue, ovine - Israel, OIE, BTV-24  20090621.2276
Bluetongue, bovine - Israel: OIE, BTV-8  20090530.2008
Bluetongue, ovine, bovine, caprine - Israel (02): typed  20090130.0412
Bluetongue, ovine, bovine, caprine - Israel, OIE, untyped  20090120.0250]
....................arn/ejp/jw
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