Evaluación cualitativa del riesgo de entrada del virus de la Lengua Azul en Canarias

Nuevo artículo enviado a la revista Animals.

Resumen: Bluetongue is a viral ruminant disease transmitted by Culicoides spp. biting midges. In the last decades, it increased its expansion and became endemic in areas where it used to be sporadic ie south of Spain, France or Morocco. However, in spite of its widely dissemination, the virus has not ever been reported in the Canary Islands. The disease could cause severe consequences, that is why the interest of assessing the risk of entry of Bluetongue virus into the Canary Islands. An entry qualitative evaluation was performed following the World Organization of Animal Health guidelines. Firstly, risk pathways were identified from literature review; the risk factors related to the level of risk by pathway were selected and combined to get a risk score for every movement, finally, the risk score per movement were analysed to get the temporal and spatial risk of entry. The windborne route was assessed through the trajectory and deposition Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model. The results indicated that the more relevant vía is infected cattle although the risk is very low; and that BTV8 risk slightly outstand BTV 1 and 4. In addition, the risk is principally concentrated in some areas at the North and East of Gran Canaria and Tenerife Island. Other potential routes of entry were vector coming with ungulates or on wind streams however those resulted to be unlikely routes. This work could be useful to focus surveillance measures for cost-effective early detection and prevention programmes.

Gutierrez I, Sanchez-Vizcaino JM, Aguilar-Vega C y Sanchez-Vizcaino F.