Bluetongue in Europe and the role of wildlife in the epidemiology of disease

Abstract

The article reviews a current bluetongue (BT) epidemiological situation in Europe, BT restricted zones and the role of wild ungulates as a reservoir for bluetongue virus (BTV) and its transmission.BT has been eradicated from central and northern Europe, however it is still circulating in some regions of southern and south-eastern Europe. According to the recent information of the Directo-

Assessment of listing and categorisation of animal diseases within the framework of the Animal Health Law (Regulation (EU) No 2016/429): bluetongue

“…Species least concerned: Musk ox, Ovibos moschatus , Bovidae, Artiodactyla Alpine ibex, Capra ibex , Bovidae, Artiodactyla Siberian ibex, Capra sibirica , Bovidae, Artiodactyla Giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis , Giraffidae, Artiodactyla Collared peccary, Pecari tajacu , Tayassuidae, Artiodactyla Eurasian lynx, Lynx lynx , Felidae, Carnivora Spotted hyena, Crocuta crocuta , Canidae, Carnivora Jackal, Canis mesomelas , Canidae, Carnivora Large spotted genet ( Genetta tigrina ), Viverridae, Carnivora White‐tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus , Cervidae, Artiodactyla Red deer, Cervus elaphus , Cervidae, Artiodactyla (Howerth et al., ; Fernandez‐Pacheco et al., ; Ruiz‐Fons et al., ; Rodriquez‐Sanchez et al., ) Wapiti elk, Cervus canadensis , Cervidae, Artiodactyla; (Howerth et al., ; Fernandez‐Pacheco et al., ; Ruiz‐Fons et al., ; Rodriquez‐Sanchez et al., ) Roe deer, Capreolus capreolus , Cervidae, Artiodactyla (Howerth et al., ; Fernandez‐Pacheco et al., ; Ruiz‐Fons et al., ; Rodriquez‐Sanchez et al., ) Axis deer, Axis axis , Cervidae, Artiodactyla; (Howerth et al., ; Fernandez‐Pacheco et al., ; Ruiz‐Fons et al., ; Rodriquez‐Sanchez et al., ) Fallow deer, Dama dama , Cervidae, Artiodactyla; (Howerth et al., ; Fernandez‐Pacheco et al., ; Ruiz‐Fons et al., ; Rodriquez‐Sanchez et al., ) Sika deer, Cervus nippon , Cervidae, Artiodactyla; (Howerth et al., ; Fernandez‐Pacheco et al., ; Ruiz‐Fons et al., ; Rodriquez‐Sanchez et al., ) Moose, Alces alces , Cervidae, Artiodactyla Reeve's muntjac, Muntiacus reevesi , Cervidae, Artiodactyla Bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis , Bovidae, Artiodactyla (Fernandez‐Pacheco et al., ) Blue wildebeest, Connochaetes taurinus , Bovidae, Artiodactyla Black wildebeest, Connochaetes gnou , Bovidae, Artiodactyla Buffalo, Syncerus caffer , Bovidae, Artiodactyla (Tessaro and Clavijo, ; Niedbalski, ) Red hartebeest, Alcelaphus buselaphus , Bovidae, Artiodactyla Spanish ibex, Capra pyrenaica , Bovidae, Artiodactyla Springbok, Antidorcas marsupialis , Bovidae, Artiodactyla Pronghorn, Antilocapra americana , Bovidae, Artiodactyla, (Tessaro and Clavijo, ; Niedbalski, ) …”

“…Among the near threatened species: American bison, Bison bison, Bovidae, Artiodactyla (Tessaro and Clavijo, ; Niedbalski, ) White rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum, Rhinocerotidae, Perissodactyla Blackbuck, Antilope cervicapra , Bovidae, Artiodactyla …”

“…The following wild animal species can be affected by the BTV serotypes from 1 to 24. Species least concerned: (Howerth et al, 2001;Fernandez-Pacheco et al, 2008;Ruiz-Fons et al, 2008;Rodriquez-Sanchez et al, 2010) • Wapiti elk, Cervus canadensis, Cervidae, Artiodactyla; (Howerth et al, 2001;Fernandez-Pacheco et al, 2008;Ruiz-Fons et al, 2008;Rodriquez-Sanchez et al, 2010) • Roe deer, Capreolus capreolus, Cervidae, Artiodactyla (Howerth et al, 2001;Fernandez-Pacheco et al, 2008;Ruiz-Fons et al, 2008;Rodriquez-Sanchez et al, 2010) • Axis deer, Axis axis, Cervidae, Artiodactyla; (Howerth et al, 2001;Fernandez-Pacheco et al, 2008;Ruiz-Fons et al, 2008;Rodriquez-Sanchez et al, 2010) • Fallow deer, Dama dama, Cervidae, Artiodactyla; (Howerth et al, 2001;Fernandez-Pacheco et al, 2008;Ruiz-Fons et al, 2008;Rodriquez-Sanchez et al, 2010) • Sika deer, Cervus nippon, Cervidae, Artiodactyla; (Howerth et al, 2001;Fernandez-Pacheco et al, 2008;Ruiz-Fons et al, 2008;Rodriquez-Sanchez et al, 2010) • Moose, Alces alces, Cervidae, Artiodactyla • Reeve's muntjac, Muntiacus reevesi, Cervidae, Artiodactyla • Bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis, Bovidae, Artiodactyla (Fernandez-Pacheco et al, 2008) • Blue wildebeest, Connochaetes taurinus, Bovidae, Artiodactyla • Black wildebeest, Connochaetes gnou, Bovidae, Artiodactyla • Buffalo, Syncerus caffer, Bovidae, Artiodactyla (Tessaro and Clavijo, 2001;Niedbalski, 2015) • Red hartebeest, Alcelaphus buselaphus, Bovidae, Artiodactyla • Spanish ibex, Capra pyrenaica, Bovidae, Artiodactyla • Springbok, Antidorcas marsupialis, Bovidae, Artiodactyla • Pronghorn, Antilocapra americana, Bovidae, Artiodactyla, (Tessaro and Clavijo, 2001;Niedbalski, 2015) Among the vulnerable species:…”

“…• Musk deer, Moschus moschiferus, Cervidae, Artiodactyla; (Howerth et al, 2001;Fernandez-Pacheco et al, 2008;Ruiz-Fons et al, 2008;Rodriquez-Sanchez et al, 2010) • Mouflon, Ovis orientalis, Bovidae, Artiodactyla (Fernandez-Pacheco et al, 2008) • Arabian oryx, Arabian oryx, Bovidae, Artiodactyla • American bison, Bison bison, Bovidae, Artiodactyla (Tessaro and Clavijo, 2001;Niedbalski, 2015) • White rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum, Rhinocerotidae, Perissodactyla • Blackbuck, Antilope cervicapra, Bovidae, Artiodactyla Among the endangered species:…”

Experiences from the 2014 outbreak of bluetongue in Greece

“…In July 2014, cases of bluetongue were reported in Bulgaria (World Organisation for Animal Health, 2014). Thereafter, cases of the disease were reported in Albania, Croatia, Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia, Hungary, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey Niedbalski, 2015). In total, 7068 outbreaks were reported in all countries, which involved sheep, goats, mouflon, cattle, bison and roe deer (World Organisation for Animal Health, 2014Health, , 2015Kyriakis et al, 2015) (Table 2).…”