Circulation of mosquito-borne viruses in large-scale sheep farms in eastern Slovakia

Samples of blood sera collected from 608 sheep in large farms of the districts of Trebisov, Michalovce, Vranov nad Toplou and Humenné were investigated in hemagglutination-inhibition test for the presence of mosquito-borne viruses Sindbis, West Nile, Tahyna and Calovo. Antibodies to arboviruses Tahyna (11.5%) and Calovo (10.9%) were detected most frequently, while a lower sero-positivity was recorded to the Sindbis (2.3%) and West-Nile (1.0%) viruses. Certain differences were found in the infection rates in the respective districts: the highest frequency of antibodies to Tahyna and Calovo viruses was recorded in sheep of the district of Trebisov and the lowest one in animals of the district of Humenné.