Epizootic hemorrhagic disease, cattle - Israel: OIE

International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

<information.dept@oie.int> information.dept@oie.int>
Source: OIE alert message 060925ISR [edited]


Epizootic haemorrhagic disease in Israel
----------------------------------------
(Disease never reported before in Israel).

Information received on 23 Sep 2006 from Dr Moshe Chaimovitz,
Director of Veterinary and Animal Health Services, Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Beit-Dagan:

Report date: 21 Sep 2006.

Reason for immediate notification: an emerging disease with
significant morbidity or mortality, or zoonotic potential.

Identification of agent: epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus.

Date of first confirmation of the event: 21 Sep 2006.

Date of start of the event: 4 Sep 2006.

Description of affected population: mostly dairy cattle (mainly
Holstein breed) and few beef cattle.

Since 4 Sep 2006, a bluetongue-like disease has been observed in more
than 55 cattle farms situated along the eastern border of Israel in a
80-km area along the Jordan rift valley from the Arava valley in the
south to the north of Galilee in the north. The morbidity has been of
10 to 40 percent, with very low mortality. No cases have been
observed in adjacent sheep and goats farms.

The diagnosis has been made by the OIE Reference Laboratory at
Pirbright using ELISA and PCR. The results of the pathogen isolation
by egg inoculation and the pathogen isolation on cell culture are not
yet available.

Source of outbreaks or origin of infection:

- airborne spread;

- vectors.

Control measures undertaken:

- control of arthropods;

- stamping out;

- quarantine;

- movement control inside the country;

- screening;

- dipping/spraying.

The differential diagnosis taken into consideration have been:

- bovine ephemeral fever,

- bluetongue,

- infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR).

--
OIE Animal Health Information Department
<information.dept@oie.int >information.dept@oie.int>

[The massive and rapid spread of Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD)
in Israeli cattle, eventually diagnosed by the Pirbright laboratory,
follows a similar event, though reportedly of smaller magnitude,
notified by Morocco earlier this month. The occurrence of EHD almost
simultaneously in other countries, the distance between which being
almost 3000 km, is a remarkable coincidence -- so far unexplained.

EHD is not included in OIE's list of notifiable diseases. Its
notification by both countries is in line with article 1.1.2.3.1.e
of  OIE's Terrestrial Animal Health Code, requiring that
Administrations "shall send to the Central Bureau notification from
the Delegate of the country...  of any of the following events: ....
'e. an emerging disease with significant morbidity or mortality'".

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) belongs to the genus
Orbivirus, family Reoviridae. 10 serotypes of EHDV are known
worldwide. Bluetongue virus belong to the same genus.

EHD occurs in North America, Australia, Asia and Africa. Seropositive
animals have been found in South America. It is one of the most
important diseases of deer in North America. The EHDV's are
widespread in white-tailed deer and periodically cause serious
epizootics in wild populations. Of the 10 serotypes known worldwide,
the only 2 serotypes currently endemic in North America are EHDV-1 and EHDV-2.

In the USA, EHD is uncommon and rarely fatal in cattle, usually
associated with an epidemic in deer. However, an EHDV serogroup virus
called the Ibaraki virus causes serious epidemics in cattle in Japan,
Korea and Taiwan. The disease caused by the Ibaraki virus is known as
Ibaraki disease; some authorities consider it to be a synonym for EHD
in cattle. There is more than one strain of the Ibaraki virus.

In Dec 1995 to Mar 1996 and the early summer of 1997, South Africa
experienced outbreaks of an uncommon disease of cattle over a large
part of the country. The clinical signs were similar to those of
infection with the viruses bluetongue (BTV) and epizootic
haemorrhagic disease of deer (EHDV). Virus isolation from cattle and
_culicoides_ yielded both viruses. Dual infections occurred on
several farms. Typing of BT isolates yielded types 2, 3, 6 and 8. On
at least 2 farms more than one BT virus serotype was involved. On 1
farm only EHD virus could be isolated from cattle and _culicoides_.
Serological tests confirmed that on this farm the disease was caused
by EHD. In 1932/33, a similar disease was reported;  techniques
available at that time could not identify EHD and the cause was
reported to be BT. The disease occurred over a much wider area than
the distribution in South Africa of _Culicoides imicola_, the proven
vector for BT. Later, it was suspected that this distribution could
be attributed to a species less dependent on high rainfall, namely
_C. bolitinos_ (Ref 1).

A small outbreak, involving 18 cattle of which 14 got sick and 3
died, was diagnosed in morocco, close to the Algerian border, in 2004 (see
< http://www.iah.bbsrc.ac.uk/dsRNA_virus_proteins/ReoID/EHDV-isolates.htm>).

In view of the above South African and Moroccan data and the current
epizootic in Israel, the following 2 observations from Israel deserve
mentioning:

1. An outbreak of an erosive cattle disease of similar magnitude and
clinical symptoms to the current outbreak was reported from Israel in
1950. An orbivirus was isolated from cattle and later from sheep,
suspected to be bluetongue virus. This was later confirmed in
Onderstepoort. Reportedly, the isolate sent to South Africa and
eventually identified as BTV-4, was of sheep origin. The possibility
that EHD virus might have played a role in the cattle disease, either
as the sole causal agent or in tandem with BTV, can not be ruled out.
(see Refs 2, 3).

2. An Israeli veterinary practitioner/researcher, Israel Yeruham,
reported in June 2004 in the quarterly of the Israeli veterinary
Services about his clinical observations, between the years 1983 -
2004, of disease cases in dairy cattle. The cases were sporadic; they
occurred annually between May and September in most parts of Israel,
affecting mainly 1-3 year old animals, presenting bluetongue-like
symptoms. Specifically, they included  temperature rise of short
duration; podal oedema, particularly of the hind legs; dermatitis
above the corona; some movement/walking difficulty; salivation and
lacrimation; haemorrhages of various sizes on the udders and teats.
Producing heifers and cows had a drop in their milk production of
about 30 percent during 4-6 days. There were cases of abortions and
foetal absorption ("silent abortions"). Since he suspected EHD, sera
were collected in 2001 from one affected dairy herd in southern
Israel and sent to 2 laboratories for serological investigations.
Negative results for EHD were received from the IAH, Pirbright;
several of the sera sent to Onderstepoort were found positive there
for EHD. For the Hebrew text and a map, see
< http://www.vetserv.moag.gov.il/VetServ/Templates/MazgazineTemplate.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRORIGINALURL=%2fVetServ%2fMagazine%2f03062004%2fchashlemachaladimomitbebaker-EHD%2ehtm&NRNODEGUID=%7bB5A9E8BD-0812-4305-920E-6D1DE338EEE2%7d&NRCACHEHINT=Guest >
(for the pdf document, click on the link at the 6th line from top and
repeat same in the obtained page).

The inclusion of "stamping out" among the control measures described
in Israel's current notification might be erroneous; there is no
justification for this severe measure when dealing with a
vector-borne viral disease such as bluetongue or EHD.

It would have been helpful if a map was included in the notification.
- Mod.AS].

References:
1. Barnard BJ, Gerdes GH, Meiswinkel R.  (1998). Some epidemiological
and economic aspects of a bluetongue-like disease in cattle in South
Africa --1995/96 and 1997. Onderstepoort J Vet Res. 65(3):145-151.
2. Komarov A,  Goldsmit L. (1951). A disease, similar to Blue Tongue
in cattle and sheep in Israel. Refuah Veterinarith, Vol 8, No 3, 96-100.
3. Komarov A, Haig DA. (1952). Identification of a strain of
bluetongue virus isolated in Israel. Jl.S.A.V.M.A. 23 (3), 153-156.