Abstract
Bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) is caused by the arthropod-borne bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV), which is classified in family Rhabdoviridae and genus Ephemerovirus. However, it is still unclear whether yaks from the Tibetan plateau of China are exposed to BEFV. It is the first time that a survey was conducted to investigate the seroprevalence of BEFV infection in yaks (Bos grunniens) on the Tibetan Plateau of China. A total of 1123 serum samples were collected randomly from yaks from 2012 to 2015 and were assayed for BEFV antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The proportions of positive serum samples were assessed among the 1123 samples, as well as factors of geographical origin and years. The results showed that there were 454 serum samples that tested positive for BEFV, and the total positive rate is 40.4 %. The prevalence in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 was 49.3, 36, 44.1, and 34.0 %, respectively, and the difference is statistically significant (P< 0.01). In different regions, the prevalence was ranged from 34.7 to 45.7 % with a significant difference among the different regions of (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that yaks in Tibet (Xizang autonomous region) (45.7 %) had 1.6 times (OR = 1.589, 95 % CI = 1.141–2.215, P < 0.01) higher risk of being seropositive compared to yaks in Qinghai province, while no regional difference was found of Sichuan province compared to Qinghai (P > 0.05). The prevalence in 2012 (49.3 %) was more than 1.8 time (OR = 1.880, 95 % CI = 1.350–2.619, P < 0.001) at risk of acquiring the infection compared to the year of 2015. The prevalence of yaks in 2014 (44.1 %) had a 1.5 times (OR = 1.528, 95 % CI = 1.350–2.619, p < 0.001) at risk of being seropositive compared to yaks in 2015, while no year difference was found of 2013 compared to 2015 (P > 0.05). Our study suggests that the yaks from the high plateau are highly infected by BEFV, and geographical origin and years are main risk factors for BEF seroprevalence.
References
Bai, W., Jiang, C., & Davis, S. S. (1991). Preliminary observations on the epidemiology of bovine ephemeral fever in china. Tropical Animal Health & Production, 23(23), 22–6.
Hsieh YC, Chen SH, Chou CC, Ting LJ, Itakura C, & Wang FI. (2001). Bovine ephemeral fever in Taiwan (2001-2002). Investigation Official Publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians Inc. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic, 13(6), 462–7.
Jin, H., Yuan, L. I., Kangzhen, Y. U., Yan, J., Liu, B. (1999). Clone and identification of g protein gene of bovine ephemeral fever rhabdovirus. Chinese Journal of Preventive Veterinary Medicine. 21(1), 4394–41.
Kirkland, P. D. (2002). Akabane and bovine ephemeral fever virus infections. Veterinary Clinics of North America Food Animal Practice, 18(18), 501–14.
Liao, Y. K., Inaba, Y., Li, N. J., Chain, C. Y., Lee, S. L., Liou, P. P. (1998). Epidemiology of bovine ephemeral fever virus infection in taiwan. Microbiological Research. 153(3), 289–95.
Li, J.K., Li, K., Shahzad, M., Han, Z.Q., Nabi, F., Gao, J.F., Han, J.M. (2015b). Seroprevalence of bluetongue virus, in domestic yaks (bos grunniens) in Tibetan regions of china based on circulating antibodies. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 47(6), 1221–1223.
Li, K., Gao, J.F., Shahzad, M., Han, Z.Q., Nabi, F., Liu, M.Y., Zhang D., Li, J.K. (2014). Seroprevalence of toxoplasma gondii, infection in yaks (bos grunniens) on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau of china. Veterinary Parasitology, 205, 354–356.
Li, K., Shahzad, M., Han, Z.Q., Li, J.K. (2015c). Seroepidemiology of Mycoplasma bovis Infection in Yaks (Bos grunniens) in Tibet and Hongyuan of Sichuan, China. Pakistan Veterinary Journal, 35(4): 516–518.
Li Z, Zheng F Y, Wang J D, et al, 2015a. Research Progress on Bovine ephemeral fever. China Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine. 42(3), 745–751.
Uren, M. F., St George, T. D., Kirkland, P. D., Stranger, R. S., Murray, M. D. (1987). Epidemiology of bovine ephemeral fever in australia 1981-1985. Australian Journal of Biological Sciences, 40(2), 125–136.
Walker, P. J. (2005). Bovine ephemeral fever in Australia and the world. Current Topics in Microbiology & Immunology, 292(292), 57–80.
Walker, P. J. (2013). Bovine ephemeral fever: cyclic resurgence of a climate-sensitive vector-borne disease. Mmw Fortschritte Der Medizin, 34(1), 44–45.
Walker, P. J., Klement, E. (2014). Epidemiology and control of bovine ephemeral fever. Veterinary Research, 46(1), R162–8.
Yeruham, I., Braverman, Y., Yadin, H., Chai, D., Van Ham, M., Tiomkin, D., Frank, D. (2010). Epidemiological investigation of bovine ephemeral fever outbreaks in Israel. Veterinary Medicine International. 10, 1–5.
Zaghawa, A., Housawi, F. M. T., Al-Naeem, A., Al-Nakhly, H., Kamr, A., Toribio, R. (2016). Risk analysis and seroprevalence of bovine ephemeral fever virus in cattle in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 48(3), 487–492.
Zhang, D., Yi, J., Liu, J.Y., Shahzad, M., Li, K., Han, Z.Q., Li, J.K., Gao, J.F. (2015). Seroprevalence of antibodies against foot-and-mouth disease vaccine in yaks in China. Pakistan Veterinary Journal, 35(3): 371–374.
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by the Tibet Autonomous Region Science Fund and the Chinese Agricultural Research Systems (CARS-38) and Basic application research plan of the first batch of science and technology key projects in 2015.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, D., Li, K., Zhang, L. et al. Seroprevalence investigation of bovine ephemeral fever in yaks in Tibetan Plateau of China from 2012 to 2015. Trop Anim Health Prod 49, 227–230 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-016-1172-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-016-1172-9