Anti pestivirus antibodies in goats and sheep backwoods of Pernambuco state, Brasil

Abstract

One of the main health problems found out in sheep and goat breeding of Pernambuco’s hinterland has been the occurrence of miscarriages and birth defects, which can be blamed on the pestiviruses have been infecting  cattle in several countries, including Brazil. In order to research the pestiviruses influence in abortions and malformations a sero epidemiological survey has been carried out in goats and sheep in the Pernambuco’s hiterland, the main producing region of the state. 814 serum samples of goats and sheep have been submitted to neutralization microplate test using strain-cytopathic BVDV-1 (NADL). The prevalence was 10.89% (9.36≤p≤12.42) in goats and 6.98% (5.36≤p≤8.60) in sheep. The samples were stratified according to animal type (breeding female, breeder and young) and middle region where they were coming from (Pernambuco’s hinterland and São Francisco Pernambucano’s hinterland). There were no statistically significant differences between species or between the strata. According to the information available through investigative questionnaire, abortion occurred in 70.96% (22/31) of the breedings and birth defects in 83.87% (26/31). In 61.29% of breeding goats, sheep and cattle are bred together. Through the results obtained we concluded the pestivirus live in small ruminants, unattached of the animal category and regions studied in low prevalence.