The first evidence of bovine viral diarrhea virus circulation in Libya

TL;DR

This study is the first to show that bovine viral diarrhea virus is present in Libya, with nearly half of the tested cattle showing signs of infection.

Contribution

This is the first evidence of BVDV circulation in Libya, filling a critical regional knowledge gap.

Findings

The overall BVDV seroprevalence in Libya was 48.6%.

Older cattle (>2 years) had the highest seroprevalence at 49.7%.

BVDV seroprevalence varied significantly by geographical region.

Abstract

Bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) is endemic in North Africa and the Mediterranean Basin with high socioeconomic impacts. However, there are no data on this disease in Libya. One of the aims of this study was to provide data on BVD in Libya, to fill in the gap in the region and to investigate the level of seroprevalence of BVD virus (BVDV) in Libya and associated risk factors.

A total of 1599 serum samples were collected from cattle herds belonging to seven Libyan regions. All sera were assayed using a screening enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of antibodies against BVDV.

The overall seroprevalence of BVDV was estimated to be 48.6% (95% confidence interval, 46.08%–50.98%). A seroprevalence rate of 36.8% was detected in cattle aged <1 year, 41.0% in cattle aged between 1 and 2 years, and 49.7% in cattle aged >2 years. Statistically significant differences (p = 0.001) were observed between age groups. BVDV seroprevalence was significantly associated with geographical region (p = 0.033).

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on BVD in Libya, and the results suggest that BVD is endemic in Libya. Further studies are required to isolate and characterize the circulated BVDV in Libya.

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