Bluetongue virus serotype 8 epidemic in north-western Europe in 2006 : Preliminary findings
2007
Elbers, Armin R.W. | Mintiens, Koen | Staubach, Christoph | Gerbier, Guillaume | Meiswinkel, Rudolf | Hendrickx, Guy | Backx, Anoek | Conraths, Franz J. | Meroc, Estelle | Ducheyne, Els | Gethmann, Jörn M. | Heesterbeek, J.A.P. | De Clerq, Kris | Unger, F. | Stegeman, J.A.
In the middle of August 2006, North-western Europe was shaken by the start of an extensively propagating Bluetongue (BT) epidemic. BT is an arthropod-borne viral noncontagious disease of domestic and wild ruminants, particularly affecting sheep with severe clinical disease and mortality. To date, 24 different BT-serotypes have been identified and the disease is transmitted by biting midges (Culicoides). Soon after the start of the epidemic it was determined that BT virus serotype 8 was involved. BTV8 is new to this European region. The gene sequence is closely related to an isolate from sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria) from the beginning of the 1980s. BTV-8 has also been found in Pakistan/India, Africa, and the Caribbean. This paper describes the specific aspects of the BTV8 epidemic: onset and course of the epidemic, clinical findings, spatial spread, vector surveillance, the effect of wind on the spread of BTV8, control measures taken and the possibilities for vaccination. (Résumé d'auteur)
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