{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T19:57:38Z","timestamp":1790625458057,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,16]],"date-time":"2026-03-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773619200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"James Cook University Higher Degree Research Enhancement Scheme grant"},{"name":"Smart Farms Partnerships Round 2 grant from Australia\u2019s Federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Water buffaloes in northern Australia occupy tropical wetlands where conditions favour the proliferation of arthropod vectors and the transmission of vector-borne livestock diseases. However, their role in maintaining economically important arboviruses such as Akabane virus (AKAV), bluetongue virus (BTV), and bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV) remains poorly understood. These three viruses cause significant production losses in cattle and pose ongoing surveillance challenges in remote areas. To assess exposure to these viruses, a convenience sample of feral water buffaloes from the Northern Territory, Australia, was collected. Commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were used to detect antibodies against AKAV, BTV, and BEFV in 119 samples stored as dried blood on filter paper. Seroprevalence was 18.5% for AKAV, 66.4% for BTV, and 15.1% for BEFV. These results are consistent with previous serological studies in northern Australian cattle, confirming the circulation of these pathogens in the region. Our findings demonstrate that water buffaloes are exposed to these economically important arboviruses and may contribute to their maintenance, highlighting the need to consider feral buffalo populations in regional arbovirus surveillance strategies and livestock disease management.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v18030363","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,16]],"date-time":"2026-03-16T11:13:14Z","timestamp":1773659594000},"page":"363","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Serological Evidence of Akabane, Bluetongue, and Bovine Ephemeral Fever Virus Exposure in Feral Water Buffaloes from Northern Australia"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3745-4439","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrew M.","family":"Adamu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia"},{"name":"Centre for Tropical Biosecurity, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia"},{"name":"Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia"},{"name":"College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrew J.","family":"Hoskins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia"},{"name":"College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia"},{"name":"Northern Australia Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance, Darwin, NT 0810, Australia"},{"name":"School of Environment, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2040-8973","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cadhla","family":"Firth","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6364-1583","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bruce","family":"Gummow","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Tropical Biosecurity, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia"},{"name":"College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia"},{"name":"Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6453-7745","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roslyn I.","family":"Hickson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia"},{"name":"Centre for Tropical Biosecurity, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia"},{"name":"Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9622-0742","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paul F.","family":"Horwood","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia"},{"name":"Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia"},{"name":"Centre for Tropical Biosecurity, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mart\u00ednez-Burnes, J., Barrios-Garc\u00eda, H., Carvajal-de la Fuente, V., Corona-Gonz\u00e1lez, B., Obreg\u00f3n Alvarez, D., and Romero-Salas, D. 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