Seroprevalence of Bluetongue Virus Antibodies in Ovine in Maji District of West Omo Zone, Southwest Ethiopia

Background: Bluetongue (BT) disease is an arthropod-transmitted viral disease of domestic and wild ruminant species caused by Bluetongue virus (BTV). It is of most importance in sheep and endemic primarily in the tropical and subtropical regions where vectors (Culicoides species) are present.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in July-November 2019 to examine the seroprevalence of BTV infection in ovine in Maji district of West Omo zone. Serum samples were examined for the presence of specific antibodies of BTV using competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA) test. The collected data was coded and analyzed using STATA version 13 software. Associations between sero-prevalence and its risk factors were tested in a Chi-square analysis and with a P<0.05 were considered as statistically significant.Results: The individual animal prevalence was revealed as 39.23% (153/390). Herd size prevalence was: small size herd (37.42%; 61/ 163), medium size herd (32.35%; 55/170), and large size herd (64.91%; 37/57). Species-based prevalence showed ovine (38.00%; 141/ 371) and caprine (63.15%; 12/19). Age-based prevalence revealed adult (39.26%; 150/382) and young (37.5%; 3/8). The cumulative sex prevalence for both ovine and caprine was male (37.95%; 52/137) and female (39.92%; 101/253).Conclusion: The current prevalence of BTV antibodies in the area was found to be high. Lack of application of bluetongue disease control mechanisms like vaccination for the animals is a key factors for the high prevalence of the disease in the areas besides the existence of the vectors.