Bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic disease in ruminants in Georgia: survey by serotest and virologic isolation.

The frequencies of precipitating antibodies to bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) in domestic ruminants and white-tailed deer (WTD) in Georgia were 36% and 32%, respectively (n = 2,200). The frequencies of seropositivity to BTV and EHDV were high among cattle (47% and 42%, respectively [n = 1,068]) and less so in WTD (36% and 34% [n = 414]). The frequencies among sheep were 34% for BTV and 29% for EHDV (n = 286), whereas among goats, seropositivity was 8% for BTV and 7% for EHDV (n = 433). Serum samples from northeastern Georgia (1 of the 4 regions in the survey) had the highest frequency of precipitating antibodies for BTV (45%) and EHDV (38%). The lowest frequency was in southeastern Georgia, with 29% seropositivity for BTV and 24% seropositivity for EHDV. Of the 175 farms or herds in the serosurvey, 70% included animals that had BTV-precipitating antibodies, and 67% included animals which had EHDV-precipitating antibodies. Seventeen viral isolates were obtained from individual animals on 9 different farms. Fifteen of the isolates were BTV--8 from cattle, 4 from sheep, and 3 from WTD; 8 of them were serotype 11, and 7 were serotype 17. Viral isolates from each of 2 WTD were identified as EHDV serotype 1 and serotype 2. Of the total 17 isolates, 11 were from clinically healthy ruminants, and 6 were from animals with clinical signs of BT or EHD. Five of the viral isolates originated from northeastern Georgia, 7 from the northwestern region, and 5 from the southwestern region; none was obtained from specimens from the southeastern region.