A viral disease known as bluetongue (BT) can afflict ruminants, both domestic and wild. It is dispersed by arthropods, particularly species of Culicoides. The disease is brought on by the BT virus (BTV), which belongs to the genus Orbivirus and family Reoviridae. This review covers the etiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, transmission, clinical signs, diagnosis, and management of the disease. BTV infection causes large direct economic losses because of high morbidity, mortality, stillbirths, abortions, fetal abnormalities, low birth weight in young animals, decreased milk yield and fertility rate, weight loss, early culling, and losses of meat and fleece. Fever (105-106° F), serous to bloody nasal discharge, mucopurulent discharge later on, hyperemia and edema of the lips, face, tongue, ears, and submaxillary region (looking like a monkey face), oral erosions and ulcers, and in rare cases, cyanosis of the tongue are the most common clinical symptoms. The disease is diagnosed using either immune response detection or pathogen identification. The OIE recommends four serodiagnosis tests: CFT, AGID, competitive, and indirect ELISA. Vaccines that are inactivated pose a lower risk than those that are live attenuated. Because there are so many BTV serotypes and susceptible hosts, controlling BTV is very difficult.

Results of testing of 19,731 samples from a serologic survey of cattle with bluetongue virus (BTV) infections in Australia were analyzed for association between age, species, or sex and test result. Bivariate analysis indicated that all 3 host factors were associated with test result. After adjusting for confounding caused by the location of each animal in the study (high, moderate, and low BTV prevalence regions), cattle greater than or equal to 4 years old had an odds ratio of 4.33 (95% confidence interval, 3.99, 4.71) for a positive test result, compared with that for cattle < 2 years old. Cattle 2 to 4 years had an odds ratio of 2.28 (2.14, 2.54), compared with cattle < 2 years old. Bos taurus cattle had an odds ratio of 1.76 (1.63, 2.05) of a positive test result, compared with crossbred cattle, and B indicus cattle had an odds ratio of 1.20 (1.09, 1.33), compared with crossbred cattle. Sexually intact (+) male cattle were found to have an odds ratio of 3.13 (2.66, 3.49) for a positive test result, compared with castrated male (-) cattle, and female cattle were found to have an odds ratio of 1.38 (1.29, 1.48), compared with male (-) cattle. Multivariate analysis of BTV testing results was performed, using stepwise logistic regression. The most parsimonious model selected included age, species, and sex factors, and first-order interaction terms between these factors. This model was only able to be fit to data from cattle restricted to the high (> 25%) BTV prevalence region. Odds ratios were found to increase with age for male (-) cattle of all species. Odds ratios were found to be greatest at 2 to 4 years of age for female cattle of all species and for B taurus and crossbred male (+) cattle.

Replication of bluetongue virus (BTV) in leukocytes from the blood of sheep, cattle, elk, and mule deer inoculated with BTV serotype 10 or 17 was assessed by immunocytochemical staining and dot blot northern hybridization to determine if differences in the prevalence of infection in this blood fraction might account for the differences in clinical disease among these species. Viremia was confirmed by virus isolation in all inoculated animals. Analysis of leukocytes with monoclonal antibodies specific for BTV proteins revealed low numbers of infected leukocytes in only 2 sheep 8 days after inoculation with BTV serotype 10. Most of the cells expressing BTV were identified morphologically as monocytes; approximately 10% of infected cells were lymphocytes. Bluetongue virus was not detected by use of dot-blot hybridization on samples of blood. Our results suggest that differential infection of leukocytes does not account for the pronounced differences in clinical signs and pathologic changes among ruminants.

A recombinant cDNA probe from genome segment 5 obtained from a virulent US bluetongue virus strain (BTV-11 strain UC8) was hybridized to US and Israeli BTV prototypes and field isolates. The cloned genetic probe hybridized with US BTV prototype 10, but not with US prototypes 2, 11, 13, and 17; with the avirulent BTV-11 strain UC2; and with the Israeli prototype 10. When the probe was hybridized to field isolates from the US serotypes, it hybridized to 12 of 14 BTV-10 isolates and 4 of 17 BTV-11 samples, but not to the BTV-13 and BTV-17 samples tested. Hybridization was not observed with the Israeli field isolates studied. Results indicate that a reassortant event occurred between a strain of US BTV-10 and US BTV-11 that originated the BTV-11 strain UC8.

Results of a prospective serologic and virologic study of ruminant livestock in Central America and the Caribbean islands revealed bluetongue virus (BTV) to be enzootic in the 9 countries participating in the study. Bluetongue virus serotypes 1, 3, 6, and 12 were isolated from sentinel animals. To the authors' knowledge, these are the first isolations of BTV from the region studied and the first isolations of these serotypes in the Western Hemisphere. Clinical disease attributable to BTV infection was not observed in sentinel animals. The incidence pattern, with respect to age and geographic location, was determined. The need to evaluate the epizootiologic features of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) on a regional ecologic basis is stressed.

Blood samples were obtained from sentinel beef cattle at monthly intervals, and the sera were tested for antibodies, using a bluetongue virus (BTV) immuodiffusion test (IDT) and virus-neutralization test (VNT), for 5 BTV serotypes (2, 10, 11, 13, and 17) and 2 epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV) serotypes (1 and 2). The cattle tested were transported from Tennessee to Texas in 1984 and 1985. All cattle were seronegative by the BTV IDT at the initial bleeding in Texas in 1984 and 1985. In 1984, 16 of 40 (40%) cattle seroconvertedas assessed by results of the BTV IDT. In 16 seropositive cattle in 1984, neutralizing antibodies were detected to BTV serotypes 10 (n = 7), 11 (n = 3), and 17 (n = 11), and EHDV serotypes 1 (n = 1) and 2 (n = 7). In 1984, no cattle seroconverted to BTV-2 or BTV-13. In 1985, 10 of 36 (27.8%) cattle seroconverted as assessed by results of the IDT. Of the 10 seropositive cattle in 1985, neutralizing antibodies were detected to BTV serotypes 10 (n = 10), 11 (n = 10), 13 (n = 7), and 17 (n = 5), and EHDV serotypes 1 (n = 1) and 2 (n = 7). In 1985, no catttle seroconverted to BTV-2. Clinical diseases attributable to BTV or EHDV was not detected in these cattle in 1984 or 1985.

Three independent 1-year studies were conducted during 3 consecutive years to better define the prevalence of bluetongue virus (BTV) infection in Mexico. Serologic data were obtained by use of agar-gel immunodiffusion for identification of BTV group-reactive antibodies, and virologic data were obtained by virus isolation. Samples were obtained from sheep in 6 states over a 1-year period, with 9% seropositive; samples were obtained from cattle in 11 states during the same 1-year period, with 35% seropositive. Two years later, samples were obtained from cattle in 4 additional states, with 69% seropositive. Virus isolation was conducted on pooled blood samples obtained from cattle in 7 states. Six virus isolates were recovered and included 2 isolates each of BTV serotypes 11 and 13 and 1 isolated each of serotypes 10 and 17. All virus isolates were partially characterized by electrophoretic analysis of genomic RNA migration profiles (electropherotypes) in polyacrylamide gels. All Mexican isolates of BTV differed considerably in electropherotype profile, as compared with their respective US prototype strain of the same serotype. Such differences appeared to be much more extensive than those described to exist between numerous California isolates of the same serotype.

Inoculation of 53 ewes after 35, 45, 60, or 80 days of gestation with bluetongue virus serotypes 10, 11, 13, or 17, or with epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus serotypes 1 or 2, resulted in overt clinical disease in the 47 ewes inoculated with bluetongue virus but not in the 6 ewes inoculated with epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus. None of the lambs produced by these ewes had developmental defects or any evidence of persistence of viremia.