Transplacental transmission of the Italian Bluetongue virus serotype 2 in sheep

Authors

  • Massimo Spedicato OIE Reference Laboratory for Bluetongue, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise ‘G. Caporale’, Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
  • Irene Carmine OIE Reference Laboratory for Bluetongue, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise ‘G. Caporale’, Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
  • Liana Teodori OIE Reference Laboratory for Bluetongue, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise ‘G. Caporale’, Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
  • Alessandra Leone OIE Reference Laboratory for Bluetongue, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise ‘G. Caporale’, Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
  • Claudia Casaccia OIE Reference Laboratory for Bluetongue, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise ‘G. Caporale’, Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
  • Annapia Di Gennaro OIE Reference Laboratory for Bluetongue, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise ‘G. Caporale’, Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
  • Gabriella Di Francesco Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise ‘G. Caporale’, Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
  • Giuseppe Marruchella University of Teramo, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
  • Ottavio Portanti OIE Reference Laboratory for Bluetongue, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise ‘G. Caporale’, Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
  • Valeria Marini OIE Reference Laboratory for Bluetongue, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise ‘G. Caporale’, Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
  • Maura Pisciella OIE Reference Laboratory for Bluetongue, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise ‘G. Caporale’, Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
  • Alessio Lorusso OIE Reference Laboratory for Bluetongue, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise ‘G. Caporale’, Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.
  • Giovanni Savini OIE Reference Laboratory for Bluetongue, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise ‘G. Caporale’, Campo Boario, 64100 Teramo, Italy.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12834/VetIt.1913.10140.1

Keywords:

Bluetongue virus serotype 2, Culicoides cell line, Ewe, Fetus, Transplacental transmission

Abstract

In order to study the capability of a Bluetongue virus serotype 2 (BTV‑2) field isolate to cross the placental barrier, 2 groups of 5 pregnant ewes were infected with a field BTV‑2 Italian strain (Group A) or with the same strain passaged once in Culicoides cells (Kc) (Group B). Following infection, EDTA‑blood and serum samples were collected weekly and tested for the presence of BTV RNA/infectious virus and anti‑BTV‑2 antibodies, respectively. At lambing, precolostral EDTA‑blood and serum samples were collected from lambs and tested as before. The lambs were then sampled as scheduled for the dams. All sheep seroconverted on day 12 post‑infection (pi) and remained seropositive throughout the sampling period (day 68 pi). BTV was isolated from day 7 pi to day 14 pi in animals of Group A and from day 5 pi to day 12 pi in animals of Group B. None of the 14 lambs born had pre‑colostral antibodies. Three lambs born from two ewes of Group B were viraemic at birth and in one lamb infectious virus was isolated from blood up to 11 days of age. This study proved for the first time that a single passage of BTV‑2 field strain in Kc cells is able to give to BTV the ability to cross the placenta barrier and infect foetal tissues.

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Published

2019-07-08

How to Cite

Spedicato, M., Carmine, I., Teodori, L., Leone, A., Casaccia, C., Di Gennaro, A., Di Francesco, G., Marruchella, G., Portanti, O., Marini, V., Pisciella, M., Lorusso, A., & Savini, G. (2019). Transplacental transmission of the Italian Bluetongue virus serotype 2 in sheep. Veterinaria Italiana, 55(2), 131–141. https://doi.org/10.12834/VetIt.1913.10140.1

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Vol. 55 No. 2 (2019)

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