Animal Diseases Caused by Orbiviruses, Algeria

Hafsa Madani, Jordi Casal, Anna Alba, Alberto Allepuz, Catherine Cêtre-Sossah, Leila Hafsi, Houria Kount-Chareb, Nadera Bouayed-Chaouach, Hassiba Saadaoui, and Sebastian Napp

Author affiliations: Institut National de Médecine Vétérinaire, Algiers, Algeria (H. Madani, L. Hafsi, H. Kount-Chareb, N. Bouayed-Chaouach, H. Saadaoui); Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal, Barcelona, Spain (J. Casal, A. Alba, A. Allepuz, S. Napp); Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona (J. Casal, A. Allepuz); Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, Montpellier, France (C. Cetre-Sossah)

Abstract

Antibodies against bluetongue virus were detected in cattle, sheep, goats, and camels in Algeria in 2008. Antibodies against epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus were detected in cattle, but antibodies against African horse sickness virus were not detected in horses and mules. Epizootic hemorrhagic disease in northern Africa poses a major risk for the European Union.

The genus Orbivirus contains several viruses such as bluetongue virus (BTV; 26 serotypes), epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV; 8 serotypes), and African horse sickness virus (AHSV; 9 serotypes). These viruses cause serious diseases in domestic and wild animals. Several orbiviruses have been reported in Algeria. Bluetongue disease caused by BTV serotype 2 (BTV-2) was detected in 2000 (1); serotype 1 was detected in 2006 (2). BTV-1 was detected again in 2008, and new outbreaks were detected in 2009 and 2010 (2). Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) caused by EHDV serotype 6 (EHDV-6), was reported in Morocco in 2004 and 2006 (3). AHSV serotype 9 (AHSV-9) was detected in Morocco in 1965 (4).

These orbiviruses were frequently reported to have originated in sub-Saharan Africa (3,5–7). In many cases, outbreaks of orbivirus diseases in Algeria were followed by incursions of these viruses into southern Europe, most likely through passive wind-borne transmission of infected vectors (8,9). The aim of this study was to identify 3 particular orbiviruses (BTV, EHDV, and AHSV) in Algeria and determine their geographic distribution.

Suggested citation for this article: Madani H, Casal J, Alba A, Allepuz A, Cêtre-Sossah C, Hafsi L, et al. Animal diseases caused by orbiviruses, Algeria. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2011 Dec [date cited]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1712.110928