Investigation of possibilities for appearance of African horse sickness virus and changes in species of the genus "Culicoides" in Bulgaria

To date, Bulgaria has been free of African Horse Sickness (AHS). Contacts with and proximity to countries, in which it is assumed there are cases of the disease, necessitate surveillance of equine animals near the border strict control of outgoing and incoming animals, especially those returning to the country after a long stay abroad of participation in races. Instructions for carrying out veterinary activities in instances when the disease occurs in Bulgaria have been worked out, since there were occurrences of Blue tongue disease (the disease has the same epizootiological vectors of spreading) in regions bordering with Turkey last year. The serological screening investigations of blood sera by ELISA of equine animals from the same villages and regions during one active period of flight of culicoides did not establish the presence of antibodies to this dangerous transmissive disease. The present study contributed to working out scientific-methodological diagnostic preparedness in Bulgaria as regards this exotic transmassive disease. Africka kuga konja (AHS) do danas se nije pojavljivala u Bugarskoj. Kontakti sa zemljama u kojima se veruje da ima slucajeva ove bolesti, i blizina tih zemalja, namecu potrebu da se obavlja posmatranje konja blizu granica stroga kontrola zivotinja koje ulaze u zemlju i izlaze iz nje, a posebno zivotinje koje se vracaju u zemlju posle duzeg boravka ili ucesca na trkama. Razradjena su uputstva za obavljanje veterinarskih pregleda u slucajevima kada se bolest pojavi u Bugarskoj, posto je prosle godine bilo pojava bolesti plavog jezika u oblastima zemlje koje se granice sa Turskom (ova bolest ima iste epizootske vektore sirenja). Seroloska ispitivanja krvnog seruma konja iz istih sela i oblasti tokom jednog aktivnog perioda leta kulicida putem ELISA testa nisu pokazala prisustvo antitela na ovu opasnu zaraznu bolest. Ovaj rad je doprineo izradi naucno-metodoloske osnove za dijagnozu egzoticne zarazne africke kuge konja u Bugarskoj.