News Excerpt: 

China has banned the direct and indirect import of ruminants and its related products from Iraq due to an outbreak of bluetongue disease.

About the Blue Tongue Disease:

• Bluetongue is a non-contagious, insect-transmitted, viral disease of domestic and wild non-African ruminants. 

• • It is not known to affect humans.

• Disease characteristics - The disease is characterized by inflammation of the mucous membranes, congestion, swelling and hemorrhages. 
• Sheep are generally the worst affected, while cattle and goats do not usually show any clinical signs of disease and can carry the virus for a certain period of time and transmit it to other ruminants.

• Signs of Bluetongue:

• Clinical signs in cattle are rare but may be similar to those seen in sheep. They are usually limited to fever, increased respiratory rate, lacrimation, salivation, stiffness, oral vesicles and ulcers, hyperesthesia, and a vesicular and ulcerative dermatitis.
• Susceptible cattle and sheep infected during pregnancy may abort or deliver malformed calves or lambs.

• Transmission - Via bite of certain species of Culicoides midges, which are biological vectors. 
• It is not transmitted by direct or indirect contact between animals in the absence of the insects.
• To date, out of more than 1,400 Culicoides worldwide, fewer than 30 have been identified as actual or potential vectors of BTV. 
• Sources of virus - Infected Culicoides.
• Occurrence - The virus is present in a broad band of countries extending approximately between 40°N and 35°S. 
• The bluetongue virus has been shown by serology to be present in regions where the Culicoides are present (e.g. Africa, the Americas, Australia, the Middle East and some countries of southern Asia and Oceania).

Prevention and eradication of Bluetongue:

• Since there is no curative treatment for BTV-infected animals,  prophylactic immunization of susceptible species remains the most effective and practical control measure against bluetongue in endemic regions.
• Control of vectors by using insecticides or protection from vectors may lower the number of Culicoides bites and subsequently the risk of exposure to BTV infection. 
• However, these measures alone are unlikely to effectively halt a bluetongue epidemic and should be regarded as mitigation measures to be used alongside a comprehensive and vigorous vaccination program.