The presence and possible effects of bluetongue virus in goat herds in Israel

In spite of the many reports on bluetongue (BT) in cattle and sheep, publications on BT-attributed manifestations in goats naturally infected with bluetong-ue virus (BTV) are scarce, and up to now there have been no reports on BT-attributed manifestations in goats in Israel. In this retrospective study, which was carried out on 8 goat farms in Israel, high levels of neonatal morbidity or mortality, as well as abortions, were observed in goats which were concurrently infected with four different BTV serotypes (BTV-2, BTV-4, BTV-8, and BTV-16). It is not however clear whether BTV was the primary cause of disease in the goats, or whether it may have contributed as a secondary pathogen in predisposing the goats to disease caused by other pathogens.