Seroprevalence and risk factors of bluetongue virus in sheep of Chattogram, Bangladesh

Background and Aim: Bluetongue (BT) is a non-contagious, infectious disease of wild and domestic ruminant animals caused by the BT virus (BTV). Bangladesh having a border with a BTV-endemic country, India and a substantial number of susceptible animals. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate BTV seroprevalence and potential risk factors. Materials and Methods: We collected 150 serum samples from indigenous sheep from Chattogram, Bangladesh. We screened the serum samples using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detecting BTV-specific immunoglobulin. Results: We detected antibodies against BTV in 39.3% (59/150; 95% confidence interval: 31.5-47.6) of all sampled sheep. Factors like sampling site, sheep rearing location, rearing sheep with other farm species, and body condition score had a significant (p < 0.05) influence on the seroprevalence of BTV. Conclusion: The findings show that indigenous sheep have a higher BTV seroprevalence, necessitating sustained surveillance for early diagnosis and a better understanding of virus epidemiology in Bangladesh.