Clinical and serological response of sheep to serial challenge with different bluetongue virus types.

A group of British sheep was infected with bluetongue virus 5 (BTV5) and subsequently challenged with the same virus type. Protection from this challenge and a homotypic BTV neutralising antibody response were observed. A second group of sheep was infected serially with three different BTV types. Animals previously exposed to BTV4 and BTV3 were found to be resistant to challenge by BTV6. Animals infected with BTV4 and challenged with BTV3 were shown to produce a transient heterotypic neutralising antibody response to a number of types. Although the level of this heterotypic response diminished with time, after challenge with BTV6 these animals developed a similar broad heterotypic response. The nature of this response and its implications in terms of observed protection merit consideration in future vaccine design and evaluation of field survey work.