Bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) in Serbia, 2025

Authors

  • Dejan Vidanović Veterinary Specialized Institute Kraljevo, Zicka 34, 36000 Kraljevo, Serbia.
  • Milanko Šekler Veterinary Specialized Institute Kraljevo, Zicka 34, 36000 Kraljevo, Serbia.
  • Milovan Stojanović Veterinary Specialized Institute Kraljevo, Zicka 34, 36000 Kraljevo, Serbia.
  • Zoran Debeljak Veterinary Specialized Institute Kraljevo, Zicka 34, 36000 Kraljevo, Serbia.
  • Nikola Vasković Veterinary Specialized Institute Kraljevo, Zicka 34, 36000 Kraljevo, Serbia.
  • Bojana Tešović Veterinary Specialized Institute Kraljevo, Zicka 34, 36000 Kraljevo, Serbia.
  • Mihailo Debeljak Veterinary Specialized Institute Kraljevo, Zicka 34, 36000 Kraljevo, Serbia.
  • Gloria Plebani Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy; Università degli Studi di Teramo, 64100, Teramo, Italy
  • Iolanda Mangone Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy
  • Maurilia Marcacci Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy
  • Alessio Lorusso Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12834/VetIt.4008.40396.1

Keywords:

BTV-8, bluetongue, genomic characterisation, Serbia

Abstract

Bluetongue (BT) is a vector-borne disease of ruminants caused by bluetongue virus (BTV). After more than a decade without reported cases, BT re-emerged in Serbia in 2025. In August 2025, clinical signs consistent with BT were observed in a sheep flock in western Serbia, including fever, submandibular and head oedema, oral haemorrhages, and cyanosis of the tongue. Real-time RT-PCR targeting segment 10 confirmed BTV infection, and serotyping identified BTV-8. Virus isolation in embryonated chicken eggs yielded multiple BTV-8 isolates, which underwent whole-genome sequencing using Oxford Nanopore and Illumina platforms. Complete or near-complete sequences of all ten genomic segments were obtained. Phylogenetic analysis of segment 2 showed close clustering with recent BTV-8 strains from France, Italy, and Spain (2023–2025), with no evidence of reassortment. The data indicate a likely transboundary introduction of BTV-8 from Western Europe and its rapid spread in Serbia.

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Published

2026-05-15

How to Cite

Vidanović, D., Šekler , M., Stojanović, M., Debeljak, . Z., Vasković , N., Tešović, . B., … Lorusso, A. (2026). Bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) in Serbia, 2025. Veterinaria Italiana, 62(2). https://doi.org/10.12834/VetIt.4008.40396.1

Issue

Vol. 62 No. 2 (2026)

Section

Short communication

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Dejan Vidanović, Milanko Šekler , Milovan Stojanović, Zoran Debeljak, Nikola Vasković , Bojana Tešović, Mihailo Debeljak , Gloria Plebani, Iolanda Mangone, Maurilia Marcacci, Alessio Lorusso

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