Bluetongue and Related Orbiviruses

volume provides an excellent, easy-to-read introduction to this interesting and important field of research. Bluetongue and related viruses cause disease in cattle, sheep, and some wild animal species. These agents can have significant economic impact, both because of actual livestock morbidity and mortality and because of restrictions of exports of animals and animal products. Another orbivirus, that of Colorado tick fever, is a cause of human illness. Many recent advances have been made in the study of these viruses, particularly since the development of new techniques in genetics, molecular biology, and immunology. Bluetongue and Related Orbiviruses represents a review of current knowledge in this area. Although individual chapters may not be up to date, particularly in rapidly moving areas such as molecular biology, it remains a useful and informative book. Included are ninety brief papers, which were presented at an international symposium , held in Monterey, California, in January 1984. These fall into seven general categories: introduction, bluetongue disease, disease vectors, viruses, immunology, epidemiology, and integrated control. The introductory chapters describe the history of bluetongue disease and discuss the presence and impact of the virus in Australia, Europe, and the United States. The chapters on orbivirus diseases review Colorado tick fever, orbiviral disease in wild animals in California, white-eye calf syndrome, the effects of BTV infections on sheep and cattle reproduction, and many other aspects of animal disease pathogenesis. The third section of the volume covers different aspects of vector research. Topics discussed include the taxonomy of Culicoides species, the distribution of different vectors, potential vectors of bluetongue in the U.S., and new methods for studying vectors in the laboratory and for detecting the presence of the virus in vector tissues. The section on the viruses themselves includes an overview of the orbivirus genus; a discussion of the classification of these viruses; EM and electrophoretic studies; information on the isolation, handling, and characterization of orbiviruses; and the adaptation of molecular cloning and monoclonal antibody techniques to assess the relatedness of bluetongue isolates. The section on immunology discusses the role of the host immune system during infection, current methods of diagnosis and their limitations, seroepidemiology, and the role of cytotoxic T cells during infection with BTV, among other topics. The section dealing with epidemiology describes the distribution of viruses and disease by regions-e.g., Australia, the Middle East, Chile, and the U.S.-and also includes an article discussing the molecular epidemiology of two …