Over the last decades, the convergence of several factors, including climate change, globalization and human activities such as intensified farming and land-use change, has expanded the distribution and altered the behaviour of arthropod vectors. This scenario has been linked to the (re-)emergence and extensive spread of vector-borne viral diseases impacting ruminant health, leading to a growing number of reported outbreaks.
Vector-borne viruses are a diverse group of pathogens transmitted by hematophagous arthropods such as mosquitoes, ticks and midges. These viruses encompass different virus families and some of the diseases they transmit can be severe in wild and domestic ruminants.
The economic consequences of ruminant vector-borne viral diseases are noteworthy, including direct veterinary costs, drops in productivity and disease control measures.
In the past, these diseases were almost entirely limited to tropical and subtropical regions, but a growing number of outbreaks are now reported in temperate regions.
Examples of these diseases include bluetongue (BT) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), two closely-related orbiviruses transmitted by biting midges. These diseases emerged or re-emerged and spread extensively in Europe, posing new threats to ruminant welfare and agricultural economies.
Beyond BT and EHD, other emerging vector-borne viral diseases are increasingly recognized as threats to ruminant health. Rift Valley Fever is gaining attention due to its potential to cause outbreaks with severe consequences, including the zoonotic risks. Bovine ephemeral fever is expanding to new areas of Australia where the virus was never reported before. Following a large outbreak in Northern Europe, Schmallenberg virus continues to re-emerge in the same area.
The unpredictability of the factors triggering the emergence of vector-borne ruminant diseases makes their management and control particularly challenging. Contributions from diverse fields, including virology, entomology and epidemiology are essential to address the challenges posed by these emerging threats.
This comprehensive topic collection aims to gather cutting-edge research that shed light on all aspects vector-borne viral diseases in ruminants, including, but not limited to, drivers of emergence, transmission, prevention and control strategies, diagnostic methods and vector biology. Both original research articles and reviews providing advancements in the field are welcome.
Keywords:
vectors, viral disease, ruminants
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Over the last decades, the convergence of several factors, including climate change, globalization and human activities such as intensified farming and land-use change, has expanded the distribution and altered the behaviour of arthropod vectors. This scenario has been linked to the (re-)emergence and extensive spread of vector-borne viral diseases impacting ruminant health, leading to a growing number of reported outbreaks.
Vector-borne viruses are a diverse group of pathogens transmitted by hematophagous arthropods such as mosquitoes, ticks and midges. These viruses encompass different virus families and some of the diseases they transmit can be severe in wild and domestic ruminants.
The economic consequences of ruminant vector-borne viral diseases are noteworthy, including direct veterinary costs, drops in productivity and disease control measures.
In the past, these diseases were almost entirely limited to tropical and subtropical regions, but a growing number of outbreaks are now reported in temperate regions.
Examples of these diseases include bluetongue (BT) and epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), two closely-related orbiviruses transmitted by biting midges. These diseases emerged or re-emerged and spread extensively in Europe, posing new threats to ruminant welfare and agricultural economies.
Beyond BT and EHD, other emerging vector-borne viral diseases are increasingly recognized as threats to ruminant health. Rift Valley Fever is gaining attention due to its potential to cause outbreaks with severe consequences, including the zoonotic risks. Bovine ephemeral fever is expanding to new areas of Australia where the virus was never reported before. Following a large outbreak in Northern Europe, Schmallenberg virus continues to re-emerge in the same area.
The unpredictability of the factors triggering the emergence of vector-borne ruminant diseases makes their management and control particularly challenging. Contributions from diverse fields, including virology, entomology and epidemiology are essential to address the challenges posed by these emerging threats.
This comprehensive topic collection aims to gather cutting-edge research that shed light on all aspects vector-borne viral diseases in ruminants, including, but not limited to, drivers of emergence, transmission, prevention and control strategies, diagnostic methods and vector biology. Both original research articles and reviews providing advancements in the field are welcome.
Keywords:
vectors, viral disease, ruminants
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.