| Abstract: | Bluetongue virus (BTV ) and Epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV ) are closely related Orbiviruses that affect domestic and wild ruminants. In Ecuador previous serological studies reported the presence of BTV ; however, no data are available about the presence of EHDV . In this study, 295 cattle without symptoms of infection were sampled from two farms located in Andean and Amazonian regions and from a slaughterhouse in the coastal region. ELISA analyses showed high prevalence of BTV (98.9%) and EHDV (81.3%) antibodies, and RT ‐qPCR s revealed the presence of EHDV (24.1%) and BTV (10.2%) genomes in cattle blood samples. Viral isolation allowed to identify EHDV serotype 1 (EHDV 1) and BTV serotypes 9 (BTV 9), 13 and 18. These findings suggest that BTV and EHDV are enzootic diseases in Ecuador. |
