Presence of antibodies to Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in sheep in Tunisia, North Africa
Abstract Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an emerging tick‐borne disease causing severe and fatal haemorrhagic syndrome in humans. Hyalomma spp. ticks are the primary vectors and sheep are important CCHF virus (CCHFV)‐amplifying hosts. In this study, blood samples and ticks collected in Oc...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Veterinary Medicine and Science |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.597 |
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| author | Médiha Khamassi Khbou Rihab Romdhane Faten Bouaicha Zaafouri Mohsen Bouajila Limam Sassi Sofia K. Appelberg Ansgar Schulz Ali Mirazimi Martin H. Groschup Mourad Rekik M'hammed Benzarti Mohamed Gharbi |
| author_facet | Médiha Khamassi Khbou Rihab Romdhane Faten Bouaicha Zaafouri Mohsen Bouajila Limam Sassi Sofia K. Appelberg Ansgar Schulz Ali Mirazimi Martin H. Groschup Mourad Rekik M'hammed Benzarti Mohamed Gharbi |
| author_sort | Médiha Khamassi Khbou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an emerging tick‐borne disease causing severe and fatal haemorrhagic syndrome in humans. Hyalomma spp. ticks are the primary vectors and sheep are important CCHF virus (CCHFV)‐amplifying hosts. In this study, blood samples and ticks collected in October 2019 from 270 sheep from 15 farms across Tunisia constituted the main research material. Moreover, the sera of the same animals taken at different periods between 2018 and 2019 were also used to obtain comparative results. To investigate the presence of anti‐CCHFV antibodies in sheep, all sera were tested using ELISA. Reactive sera were further characterised by a virus neutralisation test (VNT). Overall, one out of the 270 tested sheep was both ELISA‐ and strongly VNT‐positive to CCHFV. Another two sheep were borderline ELISA‐positive but did not exhibit neutralising antibodies. Ninety‐one ticks were collected from all sampled sheep, of which 34 (37.4%) belonged to Hyalomma spp. This is the first report of anti‐CCHFV antibodies in sheep from Tunisia. Both the results of this study and the recent CCHFV detection in ticks collected from camels in southern Tunisia indicate that further studies are needed to determine the competent tick vector in the country and to characterise the epidemiological cycle of CCHFV. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T03:14:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e421add740134be1a24596e5e95d1024 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2053-1095 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T03:14:44Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Veterinary Medicine and Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-e421add740134be1a24596e5e95d10242022-12-21T20:37:55ZengWileyVeterinary Medicine and Science2053-10952021-11-01762323232910.1002/vms3.597Presence of antibodies to Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in sheep in Tunisia, North AfricaMédiha Khamassi Khbou0Rihab Romdhane1Faten Bouaicha Zaafouri2Mohsen Bouajila3Limam Sassi4Sofia K. Appelberg5Ansgar Schulz6Ali Mirazimi7Martin H. Groschup8Mourad Rekik9M'hammed Benzarti10Mohamed Gharbi11Laboratory of Infectious Animal Diseases Zoonoses and Sanitary Regulation National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education Univ. Manouba Sidi Thabet TunisiaLaboratoire de Parasitologie Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet Univ. Manouba, Institution de La Recherche et de L’Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles Sidi Thabet TunisiaService de Sémiologie et Pathologie Médicale du Bétail National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education, Univ. Manouba Sidi Thabet TunisiaCommissariat Régional de Développement Agricole de Tataouine Tataouine TunisiaLaboratoire de Parasitologie Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet Univ. Manouba, Institution de La Recherche et de L’Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles Sidi Thabet TunisiaPublic Health Agency of Sweden Solna SwedenFriedrich‐Loeffler‐Institute Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Insel Riems Greifswald GermanyPublic Health Agency of Sweden Solna SwedenFriedrich‐Loeffler‐Institute Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Insel Riems Greifswald GermanyCenter for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) Amman JordanLaboratory of Infectious Animal Diseases Zoonoses and Sanitary Regulation National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education Univ. Manouba Sidi Thabet TunisiaLaboratoire de Parasitologie Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire de Sidi Thabet Univ. Manouba, Institution de La Recherche et de L’Enseignement Supérieur Agricoles Sidi Thabet TunisiaAbstract Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is an emerging tick‐borne disease causing severe and fatal haemorrhagic syndrome in humans. Hyalomma spp. ticks are the primary vectors and sheep are important CCHF virus (CCHFV)‐amplifying hosts. In this study, blood samples and ticks collected in October 2019 from 270 sheep from 15 farms across Tunisia constituted the main research material. Moreover, the sera of the same animals taken at different periods between 2018 and 2019 were also used to obtain comparative results. To investigate the presence of anti‐CCHFV antibodies in sheep, all sera were tested using ELISA. Reactive sera were further characterised by a virus neutralisation test (VNT). Overall, one out of the 270 tested sheep was both ELISA‐ and strongly VNT‐positive to CCHFV. Another two sheep were borderline ELISA‐positive but did not exhibit neutralising antibodies. Ninety‐one ticks were collected from all sampled sheep, of which 34 (37.4%) belonged to Hyalomma spp. This is the first report of anti‐CCHFV antibodies in sheep from Tunisia. Both the results of this study and the recent CCHFV detection in ticks collected from camels in southern Tunisia indicate that further studies are needed to determine the competent tick vector in the country and to characterise the epidemiological cycle of CCHFV.https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.597Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever virusELISAsheepTunisiavirus neutralisation test |
| spellingShingle | Médiha Khamassi Khbou Rihab Romdhane Faten Bouaicha Zaafouri Mohsen Bouajila Limam Sassi Sofia K. Appelberg Ansgar Schulz Ali Mirazimi Martin H. Groschup Mourad Rekik M'hammed Benzarti Mohamed Gharbi Presence of antibodies to Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in sheep in Tunisia, North Africa Veterinary Medicine and Science Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever virus ELISA sheep Tunisia virus neutralisation test |
| title | Presence of antibodies to Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in sheep in Tunisia, North Africa |
| title_full | Presence of antibodies to Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in sheep in Tunisia, North Africa |
| title_fullStr | Presence of antibodies to Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in sheep in Tunisia, North Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Presence of antibodies to Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in sheep in Tunisia, North Africa |
| title_short | Presence of antibodies to Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in sheep in Tunisia, North Africa |
| title_sort | presence of antibodies to crimean congo haemorrhagic fever virus in sheep in tunisia north africa |
| topic | Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever virus ELISA sheep Tunisia virus neutralisation test |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.597 |
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