The arrival of bluetongue virus (BTV) in the UK last year posed a major threat to the economy and the increasing temperatures of our changing climate mean it is here to stay.
If we are to fight this disease, which has had a major impact on farming already, we must discover how it works. A review published in the August issue of the Journal of General Virology outlines our current understanding of the "heart" of the virus, which may help us to develop antiviral therapies to treat many human pathogens.
Bluetongue disease is transmitted to ruminant animals like cows when they are bitten by a midge carrying the virus. It is endemic in tropical and subtropical countries and represents a major economic threat in many parts of the world. Until recently, outbreaks in European countries have been sporadic and relatively rare but since 1998 outbreaks of bluetongue in mainland Europe have been common events, moving steadily northwards. In September 2007 the virus reached the UK where it has become a major threat to farming. Because of the seriousness of the animal disease caused by bluetongue virus, it has been a subject of intense molecular study for the last three decades and is now one of the best understood viruses at the molecular and structural levels.
"Replication of the viral genome is the 'heart' of a virus," said Professor Polly Roy from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. "It is the key process that allows establishment of infection. Understanding the fundamental processes of how bluetongue virus initiates and sustains infection will help us determine the best way to prevent and control bluetongue disease."