Antibodies against certain bluetongue and epizootic haemorrhagic disease viral serotypes in Indonesian ruminants.

The orbiviruses contain several important viruses of livestock including bluetongue (BT) and epizootic haemorrhagic disease of deer (EHD) which share some group antigens. Preliminary screening of sera for antibodies to orbiviruses by the agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test has previously revealed widespread infections with the BT group in Indonesia. However serum neutralization (SN) tests give a more accurate estimate of exposure to each serotype in the BT and EHD groups, and in this study were applied to sera that had reacted previously in the AGID test. Five different serotypes of BT and one serotype of EHD virus were studied. Reactors to BT serotype 20 were the most prevalent, followed by EHD type 5 and BT types 21, 12, 1 and 17. Antibodies against BT serotype 20 were present in cattle, buffaloes, goats and sheep, but were most common in buffaloes. Buffaloes showed the highest exposure to the BT serotypes tested. Antibody to EHD type 5 occurred most frequently in cattle. Antibodies against all BT and EHD serotypes tested were found in buffaloes and cattle while goats had antibodies against BT types 20, 21 and EHD type 5 and sheep had antibodies only against BT type 20.