ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics
Serological and molecular surveillance of Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis in Kazakhstan
Provisionally accepted
Aiken Karabassova1
Vladimir Kirpichenko1*
Raikhan Nissanova1
Marat Turkeev1Akmerey Akyilbay1Perizat Akshalova1
Elvira Bashenova1
Bakhyt Tulepov1Saltanat Mamanova1Sayra Kaimoldina1Araylym Zhapbar1Fariza Ikramkulova1
Aigul Kassen1Aisha Zharmukhametova1
Zhandos Abay1Malik Yussupov1Kunsulu Zakharya2Aralbek Rsaliev3Yergali Abduraimov3Zhibek Zhetpisbay2Galiya Sairambekova4
Ainur Nurpeisova1Markhabat Kassenov1- 1Kazakh Scientific Research Veterinary Institute, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- 2Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Department of Computer Science, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- 3National Holding Qazbiopharm, JSC, Astana, Kazakhstan
- 4National Scientific Center for Particularly Dangerous Infections of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty, Kazakhstan
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Introduction: Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), caused by bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BoHV-1), remains endemic in Kazakhstan. Despite the absence of vaccination, comprehensive multi-year data on the virus circulation have been limited. Methods: A three-year surveillance between 2023 and 2025 was conducted in unvaccinated cattle from all 17 administrative regions a total of 8590 serum samples and 4795 nasal swabs. Serological monitoring was performed using two validated ELISA systems (IDEXX IBR gE Ab Test and ID Screen® IBR Indirect ELISA). Molecular detection employed real-time PCR on nasal swabs, and virus-isolation attempts were carried out on Vero cell monolayers. National reference serum panels were developed and externally validated at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (Germany). Results: Serological testing revealed consistently high antibody prevalence — 69.13 % (2023), 80.64 % (2024), and 82,79 % (2025)—with marked regional variation. PCR positivity was 11.2 % (280/2,500) in 2024 but only 0.43 % (10/2,295) in 2025, indicating subclinical circulation and intermittent viral shedding. All virus-isolation attempts were negative, consistent with low viral loads and latent infection. The validated serum panels achieved > 95 % concordance with international reference sera and were successfully implemented for national QA/QC. Conclusion: These findings confirm persistent BoHV-1 endemicity in Kazakhstan and highlight the diagnostic and epidemiological framework necessary for harmonized surveillance, DIVA-compatible
Keywords: BoHV-1, ELISA, Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis, Kazakhstan, PCR, reference serum panels, surveillance
Received: 29 Oct 2025; Accepted: 11 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Karabassova, Kirpichenko, Nissanova, Turkeev, Akyilbay, Akshalova, Bashenova, Tulepov, Mamanova, Kaimoldina, Zhapbar, Ikramkulova, Kassen, Zharmukhametova, Abay, Yussupov, Zakharya, Rsaliev, Abduraimov, Zhetpisbay, Sairambekova, Nurpeisova and Kassenov. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Vladimir Kirpichenko
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