Review highlights the effects of bluetongue virus on livestock health and outlines vaccination strategies.
The emergence of new strains of bluetongue virus (BTV) in Northern Europe during 2023–2024 has had a significant impact on ruminant livestock health and trade, including in the UK. With multiple midge-borne orbiviruses (BTV-1, -3, -4, -8, -12 and epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus 8 [EHDV-8]) circulating in Europe, the outlook for 2025 remains uncertain. Acute clinical disease caused by BTV-3 in sheep and EHDV-8 in cattle can be severe, with high mortality reported in sheep. Longer-term reproductive complications, including virus transmission in semen and fetal malformations, are also of concern. As there are no specific treatments available, clinical management focusses on supportive care and identifying animals requiring euthanasia on welfare grounds. Vector control measures have not proven effective, leaving vaccination and movement restrictions as the primary options for disease control. Inactivated vaccines are available for some BTV strains, but not all, and no vaccines are currently available for EHDV in the UK. This review outlines the current status of orbiviruses of concern in Northern Europe as of 2025, and explores the longer-term risks posed by this virus group.
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Rachael Tarlinton (2025) studied this question.