A viral disease of sheep, cattle and other ruminants, transmitted by biting midges, that causes fever, swelling of the head and tongue, and lameness, with sheep generally suffering the most severe disease. Historically confined mainly to warmer regions, it has spread into northern Europe in the twenty first century as midge ranges shift, and outbreaks have caused significant livestock losses and trade restrictions in affected countries.
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Sheep, Livestock Bluetongue, a midge-borne Orbivirus disease, causes its most severe clinical disease in sheep.
Sources
1. Bluetongue Disease (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationOpening definition paragraph
Bluetongue (BT) disease is a noncontagious, arthropod-borne viral disease affecting ruminants, primarily sheep and other domestic or wild ruminants, including cattle, yaks, goats, buffalo, deer, dromedaries, and antelope. It is caused by bluetongue virus (BTV), a nonenveloped, double-stranded RNA virus belonging to the genus Orbivirus within the family Sedoreoviridae. The virus is mainly transmitted by biting midges, specifically Culicoides species.
lead description
A viral disease of sheep, cattle and other ruminants, transmitted by biting midges, that causes fever, swelling of the head and tongue, and lameness, with sheep generally suffering the most severe disease.
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