Distribution of Pestivirus exposure in wild ruminants in Spain

Abstract

A large-scale study was carried out to determine the prevalence of antibodies against Pestivirus species in wild ruminants and describe their spatial variation in mainland Spain. Serum samples of 1,874 wild ruminants from different regions of this country were collected between the years 2000 and 2017. A total of 6.6% (123/1,874) animals showed antibodies against Pestivirus by both blocking ELISA (bELISA) and virus neutralization tests (VNT). The prevalence of antibodies against pestiviruses was different both among species and regions. Seroprevalence by species was 30.0% (75/250) in Southern chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica), 7.0% (25/357) in fallow deer (Dama dama), 2.5% (10/401) in red deer (Cervus elaphus), 2.4% (8/330) in Iberian wild goat (Capra pyrenaica), 1.1% (4/369) in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and 0.8% (1/130) in mouflon (Ovis aries musimon), not detecting seropositivity (0/37) in Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia). The results confirm that exposure to pestiviruses was detected throughout mainland Spain, with significantly higher seroprevalence in Northern regions associated with the presence of Southern chamois. This indicates an endemic circulation of pestiviruses in Southern chamois and a limited circulation of these viruses in the remaining wild ruminant species during the last two decades,

A survey of shared pathogens at the domestic–wild ruminants’ interface in Doñana National Park (Spain)

“…The wild ruminant population of DNP showed no seropositivity to the analysed respiratory viruses. Regarding pestiviruses, our results are in accordance with the limited or absent exposure reported in wildlife in Spain during the last two decades (Fernández‐Aguilar et al., 2016; Jiménez‐Ruiz et al., 2020; Paniagua et al., 2016). Previous studies performed on the livestock–wildlife interface in different European countries (reviewed in Frölich et al., 2002) also failed to detect antibodies against pestiviruses in these species.…”

“…The wild ruminant population of DNP showed no seropositivity to the analysed respiratory viruses. Regarding pestiviruses, our results are in accordance with the limited or absent exposure reported in wildlife in Spain during the last two decades (Fernández-Aguilar et al, 2016;Jiménez-Ruiz et al, 2020;Paniagua et al, 2016).…”

“…No. HF567456) were used for VNT since they are the main pestivirus species reported in livestock and wildlife in Spain (Elvira Partida et al., 2017; Jiménez‐Ruiz et al., 2020). Antibody titres were expressed as the reciprocal of the highest dilution neutralizing 100 tissue culture infective doses (100 TCID 50 ) in all cultures (Reed & Muench, 1938), using the immunoperoxidase monolayer assay (IPMA) to monitor neutralization (OIE, 2019a).…”

“…Antibody titres were expressed as the reciprocal of the highest dilution neutralizing 100 tissue culture infective doses (100 TCID 50 ) in all cultures (Reed & Muench, 1938), using the immunoperoxidase monolayer assay (IPMA) to monitor neutralization (OIE, 2019a). Sera showing neutralization at dilutions ≥1:10 were considered as pestivirus positive and were only specifically associated with Pestivirus A , B or D when threefold higher antibody titres between species were detected (Jiménez‐Ruiz et al., 2020).…”

Eradication of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) in Cattle in Switzerland: Lessons Taught by the Complex Biology of the Virus

“…In addition to small ruminants, a number of wild animals were found to have been infected by ruminant pestiviruses [for reviews, see (155)(156)(157)(158)]. However, evidence for independent virus circulation within the wild animal population without the involvement of livestock was rarely found with possible exceptions in chamois in the Pyrenees in France and Spain and white-tailed deer in North America (159,160). In Switzerland, roe deer, red deer, chamois or ibex were considered to be virus reservoir for pestiviruses, thereby representing a potential risk factor for BVDV eradication in cattle.…”