Bluetongue virus (BTV) is a
dsRNA virus of the genus ''
Orbivirus''. The virus causes
Bluetongue disease.
[ICTV]
''Bluetongue virus''
EC 51, Berlin, Germany, July 2019; Email ratification March 2020 (MSL #35) BTV is relatively fragile and its infectivity is lost in slightly acidic environments.
The recently spreading BTV-3 variant (BTV-3/NET2023) has raised concerns due to its fast spread in Europe, and the introduction of this variant could pose new challenges for disease control. In response to this, several countries have implemented vaccination campaigns, but the challenge lies in matching vaccines to the circulating strain. The BTV-3 variant’s genetic stability has been confirmed through sequencing, and vaccines currently in use are expected to be effective against it.
References
Orbiviruses
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