The Current Situation of Bluetongue in Turkey

The first reported outbreak of bluetongue (BT) was in 1977 in the Aydin Province in the west of thecountry. Disease spread between 1977 and 1979 and became endemic in the provinces bordering theAegean and Mediterranean Seas. The causative agent was isolated in samples from sheep and calves andwas identified as bluetongue virus (BTV) serotype 4. Epidemiological investigations showed that not onlysheep, but also goats and cattle, were involved in these outbreaks. The vector was Culicoides imicola. Thedisease was controlled successfully by vigorous control measures (quarantining, animal movementcontrol, disinfection, insecticide treatment and vaccination campaigns) in sheep in the western provinces.Attenuated BTV-4 vaccine, produced in the Etlik Central Veterinary Control and Research Institute, wasused in the vaccination campaigns. Unexpected BT outbreaks occurred in the Edirne Province, northwestof Thrace, on 20 July 1999 and spread to adjacent villages. The disease was controlled successfully bythe measures described above. The last case was recorded in August 2000. Serotypes were reported asBTV-9 and BTV-16 by the Institute for Animal Health (IAH) in Pirbright. Diagnosis was based onclinical findings, serological surveillance and virus isolation.