Establishment of an early warning system against Bluetongue virus in Switzerland.

摘要

Bluetongue (BT) is a vector-borne animal disease of economical importance due to international trade restrictions likely to be put into place in a country once the infection is discovered. The presence of BT and its vectors in countries adjacent to Switzerland stress the need for implementing a surveillance system and to increase disease awareness among potential stakeholders. A national survey in Switzerland in 2003 indicated that it is Bluetongue virus (BTV) free, but a main BT vector, Culicoides imicola, was caught in the canton of Ticino. The survey also demonstrated that potential BT vectors, C. obsoletus and C. pulicaris, are locally abundant in Switzerland. Therefore, a new surveillance method based on sentinel herds in high risk areas was implemented in 2004 for the early detection for incursion of BT vectors into Switzerland, and potential virus circulation among the cattle population..