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Phosphate mining has been going on in the Tunisian South West for more tahn a century. Since independance, this economic sector has been under the control of the government. Now, it is considered as a vital means of rehabilitating and developing the Tunisian South. In addition of the extraction of phosphate in the area of Gafsa, mining accounts for the establishment of coastal indutrial sites such as Sfax, Skhira and Gabes. But if the activities have positive effects on the industrial dynamism in the Tunisian South, they pose a threat to the environment. They may contribute, on the other hand, to the depletion of the phosphate reserves. It is therefore necesery to adopt an appropiate policy of regional conversion in order to further enhance the development of the region.

A total of 118 sera were collected during 2016 from two groups of dromedaries from Kebili and Medenine governorates in the south of Tunisia. The aim of this study was to provide the first serological investigation of four emerging vector-borne diseases in two groups of dromedaries in Tunisia. Sera were tested by ELISA and serum neutralisation test to identify West Nile virus (WNV), bluetongue virus (BTV), epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV). In the first group, the seroprevalence for BTV was 4.6%, while in the second group, it was 25.8% or WNV and 9.7% for BTV. Only serotype 1 was detected for BTV in the two groups. No evidence for circulation of RVF and EHD viruses was revealed. Results indicated that dromedaries can be infected with BTV and WNV, suggesting that this species might play a significant role in the epizootiology of these viral diseases in Tunisia and neighbouring countries.