Serological study on the presence of some alpha-herpesviruses in goats of northern Anatolia, Turkey

The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of caprine herpes virus-1 (CpHV-1) and bovine herpes virus-1 (BoHV-1) in 269 goat sera collected from small-scale family farms located in six provinces within the Black Sea region of northern Turkey. The overall seropositivity for alpha-herpesvirus in the native goats was found as 19.33% using BoHV-1 glycoprotein B (gB)-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Additionally, the seroprevalence of BoHV-1 was determined in 5.20% of the goats using virus neutralization test. To distinguish between CpHV-1 and BoHV-1, the combinations of gB/gE-blocking ELISA tests were performed. Of tested samples, 15.24% were CpHV-1 seropositive; whereas, 4.09% were BoHV-1 seropositive. The results indicated that CpHV-1 is in circulation among local goats of northern Turkey. Considering the close relationship between BoHV-1 and CpHV-1, the transmission of BoHV-1 via goats may also be one of the predisposing factors involving in the spread of virus among the surrounding cattle.