Seroprevalence and Risk factors of Akabane Virus Infection in cattle from Khouzestan Province of Iran

Background and Aims: Akabane virus is an arbovirus in the genus Orthobunyavirus of the family Bunyaviridae that can affect ruminants such as cattle, sheep and goats. This arthropodborne virus is transmitted by either mosquitoes or midges and has been identified as a cause of outbreaks of reproductive disorders (abortions, premature births, and stillbirths) and congenital malformations (arthrogryposis, hydranencephaly and microencephaly) in cattle, sheep and goats. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of Akabane virus infection in cattle from Khouzestan province, the Southwest of Iran. Materials and Methods: In this study serum samples of 361 cows were randomly collected from 9 cities of Khouzestan province and were examined by commercial ELISA kite. Results: Seroprevalence of Akabane virus infection was 85.87% (95% CI: 82.27-89.47%). Univariate statistical analysis showed that breed and age of cows (p<0.05) plus location and sex (p<0.001) were significantly associated with infection but history of recently abortion and type of management are not significantly associated with infection (p>0.05). Multivariate logistic regression showed that age, sex, breed, history of recently abortion, type of management and location justify 30.7% of infection fluctuations. Conclusions: The results of the present study confirmed that cattle in Khouzestan province are highly infected with Akabane virus. These findings call for continuous monitoring of the disease among ruminants in order to ascertain the actual burden and increase awareness of the disease. This will facilitate early detection and aid the development of appropriate control measures against the disease in this area.