Epizootic Haemorrhagic Disease Virus Serotype 8 in Tunisia, 2021

• Published in: Viruses
• Main Authors: Soufien Sghaier, Corinne Sailleau, Maurilia Marcacci, Sarah Thabet, Valentina Curini, Thameur Ben Hassine, Liana Teodori, Ottavio Portanti, Salah Hammami, Lucija Jurisic, Massimo Spedicato, Lydie Postic, Ines Gazani, Raja Ben Osman, Stephan Zientara, Emmanuel Bréard, Paolo Calistri, Jürgen A. Richt, Edward C. Holmes, Giovanni Savini, Francesca Di Giallonardo, Alessio Lorusso
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2022-12-01
• Subjects: EHDV; Tunisia; virus characterization; EHDV serotype 8; circulation
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/1/16

Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) is a <i>Culicoides</i>-borne viral disease caused by the epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) associated with clinical manifestations in domestic and wild ruminants, primarily white-tailed deer (<i>Odocoileus virginianus</i>) and cattle (<i>Bos taurus</i>). In late September 2021, EHDV was reported in cattle farms in central/western Tunisia. It rapidly spread throughout the country with more than 200 confirmed outbreaks. We applied a combination of classical and molecular techniques to characterize the causative virus as a member of the serotype EHDV-8. This is the first evidence of EHDV- 8 circulation since 1982 when the prototype EHDV-8 strain was isolated in Australia. This work highlights the urgent need for vaccines for a range of EHDV serotypes.