Putative Novel Atypical BTV Serotype ‘36’ Identified in Small Ruminants in Switzerland
Christina Ries,
Andrea Vögtlin,
Daniela Hüssy,
Tabea Jandt,
Hansjörg Gobet,
Monika Hilbe,
Carole Burgener,
Luzia Schweizer,
Stephanie Häfliger-Speiser,
Martin Beer,
Bernd Hoffmann
Affiliations
Christina Ries
Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
Andrea Vögtlin
Institute of Virology and Immunology (IVI), Mittelhäusern, Switzerland and Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Daniela Hüssy
Institute of Virology and Immunology (IVI), Mittelhäusern, Switzerland and Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Tabea Jandt
Institute of Virology and Immunology (IVI), Mittelhäusern, Switzerland and Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Hansjörg Gobet
Institute of Virology and Immunology (IVI), Mittelhäusern, Switzerland and Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathobiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Monika Hilbe
Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
Carole Burgener
Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
Luzia Schweizer
Tierarztpraxis Kreuzberg, 9473 Gams, Switzerland
Stephanie Häfliger-Speiser
Beratungs-und Gesundheitsdienst für Kleinwiederkäuer BGK, 3362 Niederönz, Switzerland
Martin Beer
Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
Bernd Hoffmann
Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
We identified a putative novel atypical BTV serotype ‘36’ in Swiss goat flocks. In the initial flock clinical signs consisting of multifocal purulent dermatitis, facial oedema and fever were observed. Following BTV detection by RT-qPCR, serotyping identified BTV-25 and also a putative novel BTV serotype in several of the affected goats. We successfully propagated the so-called “BTV-36-CH2019” strain in cell culture, developed a specific RT-qPCR targeting Segment 2, and generated the full genome by high-throughput sequencing. Furthermore, we experimentally infected goats with BTV-36-CH2019. Regularly, EDTA blood, serum and diverse swab samples were collected. Throughout the experiment, neither fever nor clinical disease was observed in any of the inoculated goats. Four goats developed BTV viremia, whereas one inoculated goat and the two contact animals remained negative. No viral RNA was detected in the swab samples collected from nose, mouth, eye, and rectum, and thus the experimental infection of goats using this novel BTV serotype delivered no indications for any clinical symptoms or vector-free virus transmission pathways. The subclinical infection of the four goats is in accordance with the reports for other atypical BTVs. However, the clinical signs of the initial goat flock did most likely not result from infection with the novel BTV-36-CH0219.
