Epizootic Spread of Schmallenberg Virus among Wild Cervids, Belgium, Fall 2011

Annick Linden¹, Daniel Desmecht¹

, Rosario Volpe, Marc Wirtgen, Fabien Gregoire, Jessica Pirson, Julien Paternostre, Deborah Kleijnen, Horst Schirrmeier, Martin Beer, and Mutien-Marie Garigliany

Author affiliations: Author affiliations: University of Liège, Liège, Belgium (A. Linden, D. Desmecht, R. Volpe, M. Wirtgen, F. Gregoire, J. Pirson, J. Paternostre, D. Kleijnen, M.-M. Garigliany); Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany (H. Schirrmeier, M. Beer)

Abstract

Schmallenberg virus was detected in cattle and sheep in northwestern Europe in 2011. To determine whether wild ruminants are also susceptible, we measured antibody seroprevalence in cervids (roe deer and red deer) in Belgium in 2010 and 2011. Findings indicated rapid spread among these deer since virus emergence ≈250 km away.

During summer and fall of 2011, a nonspecific febrile syndrome among adult dairy cows in northwestern Europe was reported. During November 2011, an enzootic outbreak causing fetal death or neurologic signs in newborn lambs, kids, and calves emerged throughout several countries in Europe. Both syndromes were associated with the genome of a new Shamonda/Sathuperi-like orthobunyavirus named Schmallenberg virus (SBV) in the blood (adults) or central nervous system (newborns) (1,2). Susceptibility of wild ruminants can be expected on the basis of the behavior of related viruses of the Simbu serogroup. Therefore, we measured seroprevalence of antibodies against SBV in wild red deer (Cervus elaphus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and looked for the viral genome in fetuses from pregnant deer found dead.