Seroprevalence of five arboviruses in Zebu cattle in the Central African Republic

Sequential blood samples taken from 237 adult and 147 young Zebu cattle in the Central African Republic (CAR) were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the presence of antibodies to Rift Valley Fever (RVF), Dugbe (DUG), Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), Chikungunya (CHIK) and Wesselsbron (WSL) viruses. Antibodies to DUG and CCHF viruses were detected in 70% and 61% respectively, of the sera from adult cattle, probably due to common antigens. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that CCHF virus was isolated only 3 times from ticks, whereas DUG virus was isolated from almost all ticks. Ticks of the genus Hyalorama, the most important vectors of CCHF, are rare on Zebus in CAR. CCHF virus has a limited role in local human pathology, probably because its distribution is limited by the scarcity of its main vector and the immunological barrier resulting from the presence of antibodies to DUG virus. Antibodies to RVF virus were found in about 8% of adult cattle. Zebus do not play an important role in the spread of CHIK and WSL viruses among humans; these viruses were found in only one and 5, respectively, of the 183 cattle examined.