%0 Journal Article
%T Circulation of bluetongue virus in goats in the Karamoja region of Uganda
%A Elijah N. Mulabbi
%A Chrisostom Ayebazibwe2
%A Samuel Majalija
%A Carrie A. Batten
%J Journal of the South African Veterinary Association
%D 2013
%I AOSIS OpenJournals
%R dx.doi.org/10.4102/ jsava.v84i1.922
%X The presence of bluetongue virus (BTV) in indigenous goats from the Karamoja region of northern Uganda was investigated. A total of 300 goats were sampled (serum and whole blood) from five districts within the Karamoja region. The samples were analysed for the presence of bluetongue (BT) antibodies using a commercial Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and for the presence of BTV viral RNA by real-time Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), because BTV is an RNA virus. Of the 300 goats tested, 269 (90%) were positive for BTV antibodies, indicating high levels of BTV circulation within the region. Out of the 150 whole blood samples tested for the presence of the virus by real-time RT-PCR, 84 (56%) were positive for BTV RNA. This study, which is the first of its kind in Uganda, showed a high seroprevalence of BT antibodies and active circulation of BTV in a high proportion of goats in the Karamoja region.
%K Bluetongue virus
%K Goats
%K Karamoja
%K Uganda.
%U http://www.jsava.co.za/index.php/jsava/article/view/922/1110