School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, UK
Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Neston, UK.
Vet Rec. 2020 Oct 17;187(8):e64. doi: 10.1136/vr.105869. Epub 2020 May 23.
Schmallenberg virus (SBV) is an orthobunyavirus, carried by biting midges, that causes reproductive problems in adult ruminants when infected during their gestation period. SBV was first detected in ruminants in the UK in 2011/2012 and then again in 2016. The reason behind the 2016 re-emergence of SBV is unknown, but one possibility is that it can be maintained in wildlife, such as deer. SBV has been detected at high seroprevalence in deer in a number of European countries, but only once in the UK in a single region.
The purpose of this study was to survey wild deer across Great Britain for recent evidence of SBV. Deer hunters were recruited for the purpose of providing postmortem blood samples to be tested for SBV antibodies.
The seroprevalence of SBV in the British wild deer population was 13.8 per cent; found in red, roe, muntjac and fallow deer species, with more in deer further south.
These results support the growing concern that SBV is now endemic in Great Britain and highlight the need to know the role of wildlife in SBV transmission.
沙氏贝科病毒（SBV）是一种正呼肠孤病毒，由吸血蠓传播，在妊娠期间感染会导致成年反刍动物的生殖问题。2011/2012 年，英国首次在反刍动物中检测到 SBV，随后于 2016 年再次出现。2016 年 SBV 再次出现的原因尚不清楚，但有一种可能性是它可以在野生动物中（如鹿）维持存在。在多个欧洲国家，鹿的 SBV 血清阳性率很高，但在英国仅在一个地区检测到一次。
本研究旨在调查英国各地的野生鹿是否有 SBV 的近期证据。招募猎鹿人提供死后血液样本，以检测 SBV 抗体。
英国野生鹿群的 SBV 血清阳性率为 13.8%；在红鹿、狍鹿、麂鹿和梅花鹿物种中发现，南部地区的鹿阳性率更高。
这些结果支持了 SBV 目前在英国流行的观点，并强调了了解野生动物在 SBV 传播中的作用的必要性。
